PRACTICES THAT PRESERVE LOUISIANA.

THE GOAL OF OUR ENVIRONMENTAL AND SUSTAINABILITY INITIATIVES REALLY IS TO ENSURE THAT OUR KIDS AND FUTURE GENERATIONS CAN BE LEFT WITH A CLEANER PLANET.

ADDITIONAL SUPPORT PROVIDED BY THE FRED B.

AND RUTH B. ZIEGLER FOUNDATION AND THE ZIEGLER ART MUSEUM LOCATED IN JENNINGS HALL.

THE MUSEUM FOCUSES ON EMERGING LOUISIANA ARTISTS AND IS AN HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL CENTER FOR SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA.

AND THE FOUNDATION FOR EXCELLENCE IN LOUISIANA PUBLIC BROADCASTING WITH SUPPORT FROM VIEWERS LIKE YOU HI, EVERYONE.

THIS IS NOT OUR FIRST RODEO.

TERREBONNE PARISH AND STEPS TO RECOVER.

RESEARCH COULD CHANGE HURRICANE SEASON FORECASTING.

IT IS VERY DIFFICULT, BUT THERE IS HOPE.

A PERSONAL STORY OF ADDICTION AND RECOVERY.

HI, EVERYONE.

I'M KARA ST. CYR.

HI.

I'M ANDRE MOREAU.

ANOTHER LOUISIANA CHILD HAS DIED FROM COVID.

THIS IS THE SEVENTH CHILD TO DIE DURING THE FOURTH SURGE OF THE -- AND THE 16th THROUGHOUT THE PANDEMIC.

THE LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH WOULD NOT RELEASE ANY OTHER DETAILS.

WE ONLY KNOW THAT THE CHILD WAS BETWEEN AGES 12 AND 17 YEARS OLD, WHICH IS OLD ENOUGH TO GET THE PFIZER VACCINE.

LDH'S TOP MEDICAL OFFICER, DR. JOSEPH KANTER, SAID, "IT'S INCUMBENT UPON ALL OF US TO GET THE VACCINE AND WEAR A MASK TO PROTECT OURSELVES AND ONE ANOTHER, INCLUDING OUR CHILDREN.

COVID CASES AND HOSPITALIZATIONS CONTINUE TO DROP.

IN THE LAST TWO WEEKS WE'VE SEEN A 38% DECREASE IN CASES.

HOSPITALIZATIONS ARE ALSO DOWN 33%.

EVEN SO, THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH REPORTED 99 MORE DEATHS ON WEDNESDAY ALONE.

AND NOW TO OTHER NEWS MAKING HEADLINES ACROSS THE STATE.

THE IMPACT OF HURRICANE IDA IS THE LATE NEST A STRING OF DISASTERS THAT MAY LEAVE A PERMANENT SCAR ON THE 2.5 BILLION SEA FOOD INDUSTRY.

FIGHTING OFF OIL SPLILS, FLOODS, CHANGING MARKETS AND HURRICANES, AND COVID.

IDA IS LEAVING EVERYONE WONDERING IF THEY CAN RETURN.

23,000 MAKE A LIVING FROM LOUISIANA SEAS THERE FOOD.

A LAWSUIT AGAINST ENTERGY ALLEGES THEY USED A BUBBLE GUM AND SUPERGLUE APPROACH TO MAINTENANCE AND CONSTRUCTION THAT LEFT MORE THAN 1 MILLION CUSTOMERS SWELTERING IN THE DARK AFTER IDA.

THE LAWSUIT ALLEGED BEFORE THE STORM, ENTERGY SAYS IT SYSTEMS COULD SUSTAIN WINDS 150 AN HOUR.

A NUMBER OF STUDIES SAY OTHERWISE.

THERE ARE STILL 22,000 USERS WITH POWER NOT RESTORED.

IDA'S TRAIL OF DESTRUCTION FROM LOUISIANA TO THE NORTHWEST COULD HELP AREAS IN SOUTHWESTERN LOUISIANA TO GET AID MONEY THEY NEEDED FROM A YEAR AGO.

POWER AND POLITICS COULD PAY THE WAY, IDA IMPACTED NEW ORLEANS AND NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY, CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS ARE PUSHING FOR RECOVERY IN PLACES LIKE LAKE CHARLES COULD GET DISASTER BLOCK GRANT ASSISTANT V ASSISTANCE THEY HAVE BEGGED FOR, A STORY WE HAVE COVERED SINCE THE AUGUST 2020 BLOW BY HENDERSON LAURA.

SMOEM AND FLAMES BLEW FROM THE SUPERDOME WHEN A PRESSURE WASHER USED TO CLEAN IT CAUGHT FIRE.

IT DIDN'T TAKE FIREFIGHTERS LONG TO PUT THE BLAZE OUT.

THE ENTIRE ROOF IS BEING REPAINTED.

ONE WORKER SUFFERED MINOR INJURIES AND DAMAGE TO THE ROOF APPEARS MINOR.

A LOUISIANA PROFESSOR AT THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI HAS JOINED FORCES ON A PROJECT TO RESTORE AND PROTECT THE CHANDELIER ISLANDS IN THE GULF OF MEXICO.

THE ISLANDS HAVE A RICH HISTORY DATING BACK TO 1904, THE SECOND NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE ESTABLISHED BY THEN PRESIDENT TEDDY ROOSEVELT.

WE ARE NEARING A MONTH SINCE HURRICANE IDA ROARED INTO THE STATE.

SO IT'S BEEN WEEKS FOR THE PEOPLE HARDEST HIT TO TRY AND DIGEST WHAT THEY NOW FACE.

FOR SOME IN HOUMA AND LOWER TERREBONNE PARISH, IT MEANS STARTING OVER.

I MAY NOT BE AS DIRE FOR OTHERS, BUT DEALING WITH THE AFTERMATH IS NEVER EASY.

I WENT THERE THIS WEEK TO SEE FOR MYSELF TO TAKE A LOOK.

I TALKED WITH THE TERREBONNE PARISH SHERIFF, WHO HEADS UP DISASTER RECOVERY, AND WITH A HOMEOWNER WHO IS FINDING NEW CHALLENGES DAILY BECAUSE OF THE STORM.

IT'S THE AFTERNOON OF AUGUST 29th.

CATEGORY 4 HURRICANE IDA CONTINUES TO UNLEASH HER FURY ON TERREBONNE PARISH AND ITS PRINCIPLE CITY OF HOUMA.

ALMOST 34,000 PEOPLE LIVE WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS AND MOST OF THOSE ARE RIDING THE STORM OUT.

IT'S NOT EASY AND RESCUES ARE ADDING UP.

BUT THE SHERIFF AND HIS OFFICERS ARE PREPARED FOR THIS.

THEY HAVE THE EQUIPMENT FOR IT.

I HAVE FIVE VEHICLES, I HAVE EQUIPMENT SET, THIS IS NOT OUR FIRST RODEO YEAH.

AND WE HAVE EQUIPMENT, I MEAN, LOOK, WITHIN -- AFTER THE STORM PASSED THAT EVENING, AS THE WIND STARTED DYING DOWN TOWARDS THE END OF THE STORM THAT WE COULD LOOK WHERE IT WAS, I DISPATCHED OVER 100 AND SOME OFFICERS AND WE STARTED TO FIGURE OUT THE DAMAGE.

I WAS OUT THERE WITH OTHER PEOPLE USING CHAINSAWS, TRACKERS AND PUSHING THE ROADS CLEAR SO SAFETY VEHICLES COULD GET TO PEOPLE.

COMMUNICATIONS WENT DOWN.

ALL WE HAD WAS PHONE LINES STILL UP.

WE STARTED RECEIVING SEVERAL CALLS.

WE WERE LOGGING IN ADDRESSES AND DISPATCHED ARMORED VEHICLE AND STARTED CREATING RESCUE MISSIONS AND RESCUE OPERATIONS, IF YOU WOULD, PEOPLE ON THEIR ROOFS, WINDOWS BLOWN OUT, HUNKERED DOWN.

SOME HAD CHILDREN AND WE DO WHAT WE DO.

500 MILES IN ATLANTA, HOUMA RESIDENTS ARE WITH FAMILY DOING WHAT THEY CAN DO.

IN CONSTANT CONTACT WITH FRIENDS AND NEXT DOOR NEIGHBORS TO FIND OUT WHAT IS HAPPENING.

JUST WATCHING WHAT WAS GOING ON, WATCHING ROOFS FLYING AND ALL THE WHILE MY NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOR OVER HERE TEXTED ME VIDEOS.

SHE COULD SEE THE SIDE OF OUR HOUSE, WHICH YOU CAN'T SEE THE SHINGLES.

JUST SIDING.

REALLY DOESN'T LOOK TOO BAD.

YOUR FENCE IS BLOWN OVER, BUT OTHER THAN THAT -- I SAID, THAT IS GREAT.

SHE SAID, O EH A LIGHT POST JUST FELL IN OUR DRIVEWAY.

IT IS NOW IN OUR YARD.

OKAY.

WE CAN HANDLE THAT.

AND MY NEIGHBOR ON THE OTHER SIDE TEXTED HE GOT OUT, VIDEOED AND ALL WE COULD SEE WAS PLYWOOD.

OUR NEIGHBORS ACROSS THE WAY SAID, SWEETHEART, YOU HAVE NO ROOF.

IN MY MIND, I HAVE NO ROOF.

I THOUGHT EVERYTHING HAD BLOWN OFF.

IT HADN'T.

THE STRUCTURE WAS STILL THERE.

I KEPT TRYING TO ENVISION WHAT I WOULD SEE SHE IS A WORKING ACTRESS.

SIR, VICE PRESIDENT JOHNSON IS HERE.

SHE PLAYED THE ROLE OF JFK'S SECRETARY IN THE 2016 MOVIE "LBJ" PREPARATION FOR A SCENE AND THE ABILITY TO ANTICIPATE THE UNEXPECTED ARE IMPORTANT TOOLS FOR AN ACTRESS' CRAFT.

SHE SAID WATCHING THE HURRICANE FROM AFAR SOME OF THE INSTINCTS KICKED IN WITH THE REAL-LIFE DRAMA PLAYING OUT.

I CALLED A CONTRACTOR WHO BUILT THIS ROOM AND I SAID, PUT US ON YOUR LIST.

WE HAVE ROOF DAMAGE, WE KEPT HEARING.

TURNS OUT WE ARE FIRST ON THEIR LIST.

IN ANY CASE, IT WAS A GREAT MOVE HIRING THAT CONTRACTOR.

BECAUSE ONCE HOME, THINGS WERE FAR WORSE THAN SHE IMAGINED.

EVEN THOUGH FROM THE OUTSIDE, YOU WOULDN'T HAVE KNOWN.

AND THEN AS THE DAYS WENT ON, WE WOULD SEE MILDEW GROWING.

I KNEW THEY WERE WETTER THAN WHAT I COULD SEE.

AND WHEN THE CONTRACTOR CAME IN, THEY CALLED SERVICE MASTER WHO WENT THROUGH EVERY ROOM.

AND EVERY ROOM EXCEPT ONE BATHROOM HAS TO HAVE THE CEILING REMOVED.

AND ALL THE BASE BOARDS, ALL THE CARPETS HAVE TO BE GONE.

THE FLOORS IN MY BEDROOM ARE NOW BUCKLED.

THEN WE WERE TOLD YOU CAN'T LIVE HERE.

WE THOUGHT, OKAY.

EVER RESOURCEFUL AND NOT SHY TO ASK QUESTIONS, SHE GOT WORD ABOUT THIS TRAVEL TRAILER FOR SALE SO IT IS NOW IN OUR BACK YARD.

WE ARE GOING TO BE AS POSITIVE AS POSSIBLE.

WE CALL IT THE LAKE HOUSE.

AND HONESTLY, WE HAVEN'T GIVEN IT A CHANCE MUCH BECAUSE WE HAVE BEEN HERE CLEARING OUT.

WHAT KIND OF TIMETABLE ARE YOU ON?

WE DON'T KNOW.

IT DEPENDS ON MATERIALS.

THE CONTRACTOR SAID OUR GOAL IS FOUR MONTHS, FIVE MONTHS, EVERYBODY ELSE SAID IT IS GOING TO BE MORE LIKE EIGHT MONTHS.

SO I REALLY DON'T KNOW WHAT TO THINK.

I DO KNOW THAT WE ARE -- SHE TOOK MY HOUSE PLANS.

I GUESS WEEK BEFORE LAST SHE SAID, WE ARE GOING TO ORDER SHEET ROCK BEFORE EVERYBODY ELSE DOES.

SO IT IS KIND OF A FIRST COME, FIRST SERVE GAME.

YEAH.

PEOPLE HERE ARE RESILIENT.

LOOK, WE APPRECIATE THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE COME DOWN AND OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS WILL CONTINUE TO HELP THE GOOD PEOPLE OF TERREBONNE PARISH.

OUR PEOPLE DON'T WAIT, THEY GET OUT THERE, ROLL THEIR SLEEVES OUT, STARTING TO CLEAN, DO THE THINGS THEY DO.

I MEAN, THIS MAKES US SO UNIQUE AND I'VE SAID IT, THERE IS NO PLACE ANYWHERE IN THIS WORLD UNIQUE AS TERREBONNE PARISH.

WE'RE COMMITTED TO SHOWING YOU WHAT LIFE NOW LOOKS LIKE FOR THOSE HIT HARD BY IDA AND WHAT PEOPLE NEED.

IN THE COMING WEEKS, WE'LL HAVE REPORTS FROM GRAND ISLE, LOWER LA FOURCHE, LA PLACE, AND MORE, RIGHT HERE ON "SWI."

WHEN A STORM AS BIG AS HURRICANE IDA HITS LOUISIANA, THE STATE IS SENT INTO A FRENZY OF PANIC.

DEBRIS REMOVAL AND SUPPLY DISTRIBUTION BECOME SOME OF THE STATE'S TOP PRIORITIES, BUT SOME OF THESE TASKS CAN BE COMPLICATED WITHOUT POWER SOME ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVISTS AND DISASTER RECOVERY ORGANIZATIONS SAY THAT SOLAR POWER MIGHT BE A PARTIAL SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM.

HURRICANE IDA IS THE SIXTH NAMED STORM TO HIT LOUISIANA IN THE PAST YEAR.

MANY STORMS HAVE BROUGHT HISTORIC DESTRUCTION, DEBRIS REMOVAL AND POWER OUTAGES LEFT IN THE STORM'S WAKE.

THERE ARE TONS OF OUTAGES.

I HAVEN'T SEEN IT LIKE THIS SINCE KATRINA.

IF WE LOOK AT THE ENTERGY MAP ACROSS LOUISIANA, THERE ARE 850,000 OUTAGES.

HOIRD LEFT THOUSANDS WITHOUT POWER FOR WEEKS AFTER THE STORM MADE LANDFALL.

IT TOOK 16 DAYS TO GET 90% OF ELECTRICITY BACK UP.

DURING THAT TIME THE LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH REPORTED THAT NINE PEOPLE HAD DIED FROM EXCESSIVE HEAT AS A RESULT OF THE OUTAGES.

NOW NEARLY A MONTH AFTER IDA, PEOPLE ARE JUST SEEING THE LIGHT.

THE COMMUNITY'S POWER WAS RESTORED AFTER 22 DAYS.

JOSH FOX, AN ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVIST AND FILMMAKER HAS BEEN HERE DOCUMENTING THE RECOVERY PROCESS THERE ARE ONLY SEVEN HOUSES VIABLE OUT OF 40.

THIS IS ONE OF THE PLACES STILL STANDING.

PEOPLE COME HERE FOR SUPPLIES.

THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS HAVE BEEN MANAGING STORM CONTROVERSIRY WITHOUT ASSISTANCE FROM FEMA.

POWER OUTAGES HAS BEEN ONE OF THE BIGGEST STRAINS TO COMMUNITY MEMBERS AS THEY CLEAR THEIR OWN ROADS AND ORGANIZE ESSENTIAL FOOD AND SUPPLY DISTRIBUTION.

A PORTABLE SOLAR SYSTEM HAS PROVEN TO BE THE LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL.

THIS IS A SUN KIT SOLAR GENERATORS, TAKES ENERGY FROM THE SUN COOPED VERTS TO A POWER SOURCE TO USE AFTER A DISASTER.

THE GENERATOR WAS HOOKED TO THE TRIBAL CENTER MAKING IT THE ONLY BUILDING WITH POWER.

THE OPERATIONS MANAGER OF THE FOOTPRINT PROJECT, AN ORGANIZATION DEDICATED TO DEPLOYING INNOVATIVE SOURCES TO ENERGY SAYS THIS IS THE FUTURE TO DISASTER RELIEF IN IS AN ALL IN ONE SOLAR BATTERY SYSTEM THAT CAN REPLACE A TWO TO FIVE KILOWATT GAS GENERATOR.

FOR THE LAYPERSON, THAT MEANS IT CAN POWER YOUR FRIDGE, YOUR FREEZER, YOUR CELL PHONES, COMPUTERS, BASICALLY SMALL HOME APPLIANCES, MEDICAL APPLIANCES, SOME SMALL AIR CONDITIONERS, BASED ON THE SIZE OF THE AIR CONDITIONER AND HOW LONG IT IS RUNNING.

BUT FOR AN AID DONATION SITE, THAT CAN BE EVERYTHING.

THE GOAL IS TO REDUCE THE YUSZ OF GAS GENERATORS.

IF USED INCORRECTLY THEY CAN CAUSE CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING, ONE OF THE LEADING CAUSES OF DEATH IN HURRICANE DISASTERS IN LA.

A THIRD OF THE DEATHS IN HURRICANE LAURA WERE CAUSED BY CO2 POISONING.

SIX PEOPLE HAVE DIED FROM CO 2RKS POISONING IN THE WAKE OF IDA.

FOX SAYS THE CURRENT SYSTEM OF POWER DISTRIBUTION IS PARTIALLY TO PLAME FOR THESE DISASTERS.

GREENSPAN METHODS ARE MORE EFFICIENT NOT JUST FOR DISASTER RELIEF, BUT THE ENVIRONMENT THIS IS AN ANTIQUATED SYSTEM, THIS IS OLD.

THESE WIRES ARE GOING TO BLOW DOWN IN THE NEXT STORM.

WE ARE TRYING TO BUILD RESILIENT POWER.

RENEWABLE ENERGY IS MORE RESILIENT, SOLAR MICROGRID IS MORE RESILIENT.

SOLAR POWER ISN'T A PERFECT SYSTEM.

GREGORY UPTON, A PROFESSOR AT LSU SAYS IT IS AN ALTERNATIVE TO FOSSIL FUELS BUT COMES WITH A FEW CONS.

IF YOU WERE TO INSTALL SOLAR ON YOUR HOUSE, YOU FIRST PAY FOR THE SOLAR POWER AND IN AN OUTAGE YOU HAVE TO HAVE A BATTERY.

IF IT DOESN'T HAVE THE BATTERY YOU AREN'T GOING TO BE ABLE TO USE THAT ELECTRICITY FROM WHEN THE GRID THE DOWN.

THE PRICE FOR SOLAR PANELS CAN RUN $20,000 TO $25,000, THAT IS NOT INCLUDING THE BATTERY YOU WOULD NEED DURING A POWER OUTAGES.

THESE ORGANIZATIONS IN POSIGEN SEE IT AS A STEPPINGSTONE OF A GREENER FUTURE.

THIS ALSO HAS ITS PROBLEMS.

IT IS CLEAN, BUT IT IS NOT 100% SUSTAINABLE ANYTHING, BUT IF WE CAN MOVE THAT NEEDLE A LITTLE BIT AND HOPEFULLY HELP LARGER DISASTER RESPONSE INSTITUTIONS THINK ABOUT HOW TO RESPOND MORE SUSTAINABLY TO CLIMATE DISASTERS, I HOPE WE CAN MOVE THAT NEEDLE.

BOTH THE FOOTPRINT AND THE PROJECT AND POSIGEN DONATED BY TESLA IN THE HARDEST HIT AREAS.

THEY ARE BRINGING RENEWABLE POWER TO PEOPLE AFTER THE STORM.

WE NEED SOLAR, WE NEED WIND, GEOTHERMAL, GAS HAS A PLACE, OIL HAS A PLACE.

WE ALL HAVE A PLACE.

WE NEED TO COME TOGETHER TO FIGURE THIS OUT BECAUSE LOUISIANA IS NOT RESILIENT AND LOUISIANA IS GOING TO GET HIT BY MORE STORMS.

POSIGEN IS GIVING 50 FAMILIES WHO ARE STILL WITHOUT POWER BATTERIES FOR THEIR SOLAR SYSTEMS.

THEY'LL ALSO BE INSTALLING ANOTHER 200 BATTERIES IN LOW-INCOME AREA THROUGHOUT SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA AT NO CHARGE TO THE FAMILIES.

FROM TEXAS TODAY COMES THIS HEADLINE, WE THINK THE TEXAS HURRICANE SEASON IS OVER.

THIS COMES FROM A GROUP CALLED THE SPACE CITY WEATHER THAT IS REPORTING IT.

LOUISIANA ALONG THE NORTHERN GULF COAST, YES, WE HAVE A BREAK IN THE WEATHER.

FIRST FALL WEATHER FROM WHAT SEEMS LIKE FOREVER.

I DON'T THINK WE CAN PREDICT HURRICANE SEASON BEING OVER WITH WHAT WE ENDURED IN THE LAST YEAR HALF.

LSU PROFESSOR PAUL MILLER IS HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE DETERMINING FORECAST IN THE GULF OF MEXICO AND HURRICANES THAT COME TO US.

WELCOME.

YEAH.

THANKS FOR HAVING ME, ANDRE.

I WOULDN'T SAY WE ARE READY TO MAKE THAT CALL, BUT THE TOOL WE DEVELOPED HOPEFULLY WILL ALLOW US TO MAKE SUCH PREDICTIONS.

WE HEAR ABOUT THE ATLANTIC HURRICANE PREDICTIONS, BUT THERE HASN'T BEEN ANYTHING FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO.

THE ATLANTIC BASIN IS WHERE WE DID OUR FORECAST FROM EVERY YEAR.

THE ATMOSPHERE IS DIFFERENT IN THE GULF?

YEAH.

THE GULF IS DIFFERENT THAN THE BROADER ATLANTIC.

SEA SURFACE TEMPERATURES CAN HEAT UP QUICKER.

WE TEND TO HAVE STORMS EARLIER.

CLAUDETTE IS ONE EXAMPLE FROM THIS YEAR, CRISTOBAL LAST YEAR, THOSE ARE JUNE STORMS.

EARLY COMPARED TO THE REST OF THE ATLANTIC.

WE HAVE DIFFERENT CONDITIONS.

IDA IS A GREAT EXAMPLE OF WHERE A STORM RAMPED UP QUICKLY.

THERE ARE DIFFERENT CONSIDERATIONS IN THE GULF OF MEXICO COMPARED TO THE BROADER ATLANTIC.

YOUR STUDY SAYS LOOKING AT ATMOSPHERIC CONDITIONS IN THE SPRING CAN DETERMINE WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN IN THE FALL.

PLEASE EXPLAIN THAT.

YEAH.

IT IS A LITTLE COUNT INTUITIVE, A LOT OF HURRICANE PREDICTIONS RELY ON SEA SURFACE TEMPERATURES.

THAT IS WHAT WE HEAR REGULARLY.

SOME OF THE SAME METRICS WE FOUND GO INTO THE ATLANTIC FORECAST DON'T EQUATE TO THE GULF OF MEXICO.

WHAT WE REALIZED WHEN WE TOOK ABOUT FOUR DECADES WORTH OF DATA AND ANALYZED AND COMPARED ATMOSPHERIC AVERAGES TO HOW MANY TROPICAL STORMS AND HURRICANES FORMED, THE TEMPERATURE 20,000 FEET ABOVE OUR HEAD DURING THE HURRICANE SEASON CORRESPONDED TO THE NUMBER OF STORMS THAT CAME THROUGH THE GULF OF MEXICO THAT YEAR IS THAT WHAT PUSHED YOU TOWARD THIS RESEARCH?

YOU DIDN'T THINK THE STUDIES AND NUMBERS OF STORMS WERE LINING UP FOR US, PERHAPS?

IT IS KIND OF AN AMBIGUITY, THE ATLANTIC IS GOING TO HAVE A ABOVE AVERAGE SEASON.

NOT THE SAME FOR HERE.

IT IS HARD TO HAVE A STORM IN THE GULF OF MEXICO THAT DOESN'T HIT LAND, AS WE KNOW IN LOUISIANA QUITE WELL.

THERE IS AN AMBIGUITY WHERE WE FELT WE COULD ADD GRANULARITY BY LOOKING SPECIFICALLY IN THE GULF OF MEXICO.

WHAT DO YOU EXPECT FOR US TO LOOK FOR?

PEOPLE ASK ME ALL THE TIME ESPECIALLY AFTER IDA, PAUL, ARE WE DONE YET?

IS THIS THE LAST ONE?

UP UNTIL NOW WE HAVEN'T HAD THE TOOLS TO ADDRESS THAT QUESTION OR ANSWER IT WITH ANY CERTAINTY.

A FORECAST LIKE THIS CAN ADD SOME KNOWLEDGE TO THAT.

WE CAN SAY, WELL, WE ARE PREDICTING SIX STORMS AND IDA WAS ONLY THE FOURTH ONE SO WE COULD PROBABLY EXPECT A FEW MORE.

OR WE COULD SAY, THIS WAS ABOUT AS MANY AS WE PREDICTED SO HOPEFULLY THE REST OF THE SEASON IS QUIETER.

WE SEE THE ATLANTIC BASIN FOR THE YEAR, 15, 16, 17 STORMS, WILL THERE BE A SEPARATE ONE FOR THE GULF OF MEXICO GOING FORWARD THAT IS OUR HOPE.

WHEN WE WERE DEVELOPING THE SYSTEM, ONE OF THE THINGS WE PAID ATTENTION TO WAS MAKING IT SIMPLE, BASIC AND EASY TO REPLICATE.

THE ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCE LITERATURE, THEY TRY TO MAKE THESE SEASONAL HURRICANE FORECASTS, BUT IT CAN BE COMPLICATED AND PEOPLE DON'T EVER KEEP DOING IT.

WE WANTED THIS TO BE THE KIND OF THING NEXT SUMMER OR SPRING YOU CAN SEE A HEADLINE LSU IS CALLING FOR A NEAR AVERAGE GULF OF MEXICO HURRICANE SEASON.

IS YOUR BABY, SOMETHING YOU DEVELOPED?

IT IS SOMETHING I HELPED WITH.

I HAVE A COLLABORATOR IN THE DEPARTMENT OF GEOGRAPHY HELPING WITH IT.

ONE THING WE SEE IS STORMS RAMP UP QUICKLY AND IN NEW ORLEANS, FOR EXAMPLE, DIDN'T FEEL WE HAD THE TIME TO PUT EVACUATION ORDERS IN PLACE.

WOULD THIS HELP IN ANY WAY OR IS THAT JUST AN ANOMALY WE ARE SEEING NOW?

AS WE SAW WITH IDA, THAT STORM WENT FROM 0 TO 60 QUICKLY.

EVEN NICHOLAS, A SHORT-LIVED HURRICANE RIGHT BEFORE LANDFALL IN TEXAS.

OUR GOAL IS TO EXTEND THE LEAD TIME AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.

EVEN THOUGH IT MAY NOT HELP US IDENTIFY SPECIFIC RAPIDLY INTENSIFIED STORMS ONCE THEY EXISTED, WE CAN HAVE A FEEL FOR ON THE SEASON SCALE WHAT THAT ACTIVITY WILL LOOK LIKE.

WE HAD A FEW YEARS OFF FROM MAJOR HURRICANES, BUT BOY, THE PAST YEAR AND A HALF WE HAVE GOTTEN IT BIG TIME.

WE COULD USE A BREAK AGAIN.

OR AT LEAST KNOW BETTER WHAT THE FORECAST WOULD BE.

THANKS SO MUCH FOR THIS INFORMATION AND WE JUST REPORTED IT LAST WEEK AND GREAT TO HAVE YOU RIGHT HERE WITH US TODAY TO TELL US MORE ABOUT IT.

YEAH.

THANKS FOR HAVING ME, ANDRE.

LAST YEAR LOUISIANA RECORDED MORE THAN 2,000 DRUG-RELATED DEATHS, A HUGE INCREASE FROM 2019 AND 2018.

THE TREND FOR DRUG AND ALCOHOL ABUSE IS SURGING UPWARD AS WE CONTINUE TO FIGHT THROUGH THIS PANDEMIC.

IN HONOR OF RECOVERY AWARENESS MONTH, ONE MAN IS SHARING HIS STORY.

ADAM'S STORY SAYS HIS BATTLE OF ADDICTION HAPPENED SLOWLY.

EVERY CHILD I KNOW FEELS A LITTLE WEIRD, SOMETHING IS OFF.

MY THING WAS I WAS A FAT KID, A HEAVY KID.

MY DAD CALLED ME EL CHUBBO.

THE GOONIES, CHUNK, CHUNK SHUFFLE, PEOPLE WOULD ASK ME TO DO IT.

IT JUST HURT.

IT HURT.

JABLIN TOOK THE PAIN HE FELT AND TURNED IT INTO FUEL.

HE USED IT TO WORK OUT MORE AND LOSE THE WEIGHT.

THAT MADE HIM MORE POPULAR AND MIXED HIM INTO A NEW CROWD OF KIDS, ONES INTO DRINKING AND ALCOHOL.

HE DIDN'T SEE THE DANGER YET.

IT DIDN'T FEEL LIKE PEER PRESSURE.

MUSCLE GAVE ME SKILL TO PLAY AND HANG OUT WITH THE OLDER KIDS.

AND I WAS 14 NOW AND 15 AND THE OLDER KIDS WERE 17.

THEY WERE DRINKING AND SMOKING DOPE AND THEY, IT NEVER FELT LIKE PEER PRESSURE EVER.

THEY -- WHAT THEY WERE DOING AND I TOOK A SIP AND IT FIXED SOMETHING IN ME I DIDN'T KNOW WAS BROKEN.

THAT THING JABLIN IS TALKING ABOUT IS CONFIDENCE.

HE NEVER FELT FULLY SECURE, BUT WHEN HE DRANK, THAT SELF-CONSCIOUSNESS MELTED AWAY.

AFTER THAT FIRST HIGH, JABLIN WAS HOOKED.

HE CHASED THAT FEELING FOR 15 YEARS.

ALL OF A SUDDEN, SUPERMAN SHOWED UP.

YOU KNOW, AND THAT FAT KID, THAT CROWD THAT IS WORRIED ABOUT WHAT YOU ARE THINKING ABOUT, WANT TO MAKE YOU NOT TEASE ME AND WANT ME TO WANT YOUR APPROVAL, THIS CONFIDENT GUY SHOWED UP IN LOUISIANA WE HAVE LOTS OF CASES LIKE JABLINS.

THE CAUSE OF THE ADDICTION MAY BE DIFFERENT, BUT THE DISEASE STILL EXISTS.

IN 2018, 1, 140 OVERDOSE DEATHS WERE REPORTED, IN 2020 THE DEATHS JUMPED 50% TO 75%, MOSTLY OPIOID RELATED, WHEN AN ADDICT IS ISOLATED IT IS EASIER TO RELAPSE.

BEFORE JABLIN COULD GET CLEAN HE WOULD SUFFER THROUGH A CYCLE OF UPS AND DOWNS.

HIS LIFELINE WAS HIS DAUGHTER.

I WALKED INTO AN INTERVENTION.

THAT WASN'T SAYING I NEEDED HELP.

IT WAS EVERYBODY WHO LOVED ME SAYING YOU NEED HELP.

THE THING I SAY REALLY WAS MY DRIVING FORCE BECAUSE AT THE TIME I WOULDN'T DO IT FOR ME.

I REALLY WOULDN'T.

I DIDN'T THINK I WAS WORTH IT.

BUT I HAD A 6-MONTH-OLD DAUGHTER AND I REMEMBER EVEN HEARING INTERVENTION, THAT THEY WERE GOING TO PROTECT HER FROM ME.

AND THAT, I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND BECAUSE I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND HOW BAD I WAS.

BECAUSE I WAS LIVING IN MY OWN VERSION OF, YOU FORGET WHEN YOU WERE DRUNK ON TEQUILA AND GIVING YOUR LITTLE GIRL A BATH AND SLIP DOWN THE STEPS WITH HER.

THAT IS WHAT THEY MEAN.

THAT WAS JABLIN'S CUE TO MAKE A CHANGE.

IT WASN'T EASY, BUT HE WAS ABLE TO FIND THE ROOT OF HIS ADDICTION AND WORK HIS WAY UP.

TODAY HIS MESSAGE IS SIMPLE.

YOU CAN DO IT YOUR BODY IS USED TO HAVE SOMETHING AND THE MIND AND THE BODY TOOK OVER AND IT IS DIFFICULT TO BEAT, BUT THERE IS HOPE.

JABLIN TOOK HIS EXPERIENCE WITH ADDICTION AND TURNED INTO A PROGRAM CALLED THE HERO PROJECT WHERE HE ENCOURAGES EVERYONE TO GET TO THE ROOT OF ADDICTION USING EXERCISE AND MEDITATION, AMONG OTHER METHODS.

THIS WEEK, I HOSTED A VIRTUAL DISCUSSION ON THE MENTAL HEALTH OF OUR YOUTH.

COPING THROUGH COVID: WHAT PARENTS AND TEACHERS SHOULD KNOW.

FOR ANYONE WHO'd LIKE TO WATCH OR FOR LOCAL AND NATIONAL RESOURCES, YOU CAN HEAD OVER TO WWW.WELLBEINGS.ORG/LPB.

AND WE HAVE A REMINDER, NEXT WEDNESDAY WE'RE AIRING A SPECIAL "LOUISIANA PUBLIC SQUARE" PRESENTATION, VACCINES:FREEDOM, FEAR, AND FACTS.

IT AIRS SEPTEMBER 29th AT 7:00 P.M. STATEWIDE ON LPB.

AND EVERYONE, THAT IS OUR SHOW FOR THIS WEEK.

REMEMBER, YOU CAN WATCH ANYTHING LPB ANY TIME, WHEREVER YOU ARE, WITH OUR LPB APP.

YOU CAN CATCH LPB NEWS AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS SHOWS AS WELL AS OTHER LOUISIANA PROGRAMS YOU'VE COME TO ENJOY OVER THE YEARS.

AND PLEASE LIKE US ON FACEBOOK, TWITTER AND INSTAGRAM.

FOR EVERYONE AT LOUISIANA PUBLIC BROADCASTING, I'M ANDRE MOREAU.

AND I'M KARA ST. CYR.

UNTIL NEXT TIME, THAT'S THE "STATE WE'RE IN."

CAPTIONING PERFORMED BY LNS CAPTIONING WWW.LNSCAPTIONING.COM ENTERGY IS PROUD TO SUPPORT PROGRAMMING ON LPB AND GREENER PRACTICES THAT PRESERVE LOUISIANA.

THE GOAL OF OUR ENVIRONMENTAL AND SUSTAINABILITY INITIATIVES REALLY IS TO ENSURE THAT OUR KIDS AND FUTURE GENERATIONS CAN BE LEFT WITH A CLEANER PLANET.

ADDITIONAL SUPPORT PROVIDED BY THE FRED B.

AND RUTH B. ZIEGLER FOUNDATION AND THE ZIEGLER ART MUSEUM LOCATED IN JENNINGS CITY HALL.

THE MUSEUM FOCUSES ON EMERGING LOUISIANA ARTISTS AND IS AN HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL CENTER FOR SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA.

AND THE FOUNDATION FOR EXCELLENCE IN LOUISIANA PUBLIC BROADCASTING WITH SUPPORT FROM VIEWERS LIKE YOU .