LAPLACE — St. John the Baptist Parish residents are asked to stay off the roadways for the next several hours and prepare for damaging winds, coastal flooding, periods of heavy rain and tornado threats as Hurricane Zeta moves into Southeastern Louisiana as a dangerous category 2 storm.

St. John Parish remains under a hurricane warning and a storm surge warning, in addition to a flash flood and tornado watch. Confidence is high that Southeastern Louisiana will be impacted by high speed winds. While St. John Parish is to the west of the expected path of the eye wall, the peak wind forecast for this area is 35 to 45 miles per hour with gusts up to 65 miles per hour.

There is potential for 4 to 6 feet of storm surge within surge prone areas.

Misuse of generators was a leading cause of fatalities surrounding tropical systems that impacted Louisiana this year. Please take note of the following generator safety tips: