State of Emergency Declared as Severe Flooding Hits Lake Charles, Louisiana

A state of emergency was declared in Louisiana after Lake Charles and parts of the state’s southwest were hit by flash flooding on Monday, May 17.

Up to nine inches of rain fell in 12 hours in the area during the flash flood emergency, according to the National Weather Service.

Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards issued the State of Emergency Declaration at around 7:40 pm on Monday, urging residents to monitor local media to keep informed about the severe weather.

This video posted to Facebook by Susan Hope Hanchey Ham shows cars driving through floodwaters in Lake Charles. “I don’t know how we are going to get home. Lake Charles is flooded!” she wrote in a Facebook post. Credit: Susan Hope Hanchey Ham via Storyful