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BATON ROUGE — Gov. John Bel Edwards on Sunday declared a state of emergency for Louisiana in advance of Tropical Storm Nicholas, which has formed in the Gulf of Mexico and is forecasted by the National Weather Service to bring heavy rains and flash flooding to the state in the coming days. Areas affected by hurricanes Ida and Laura, and flash flooding earlier in the year, could see impacts from the tropical weather. As of 6 p.m. on Sunday, there are still 130,478 power outages in Southeast Louisiana caused by Hurricane Ida.

The Emergency Operations Center at the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (GOHSEP) is activated, monitoring the potential storm and ongoing recovery efforts, and coordinating with both FEMA and parish offices of emergency preparedness. A state of emergency is an administrative step that authorizes the use of state resources to aid in storm response efforts, which are complicated by the ongoing recovery from other hurricanes and severe weather.

“The most severe threat to Louisiana is in the Southwest portion of the state, where recovery from Hurricane Laura and the May flooding is ongoing. In this area heavy rain and flash flooding are possible. However, it is also likely that all of South Louisiana will see heavy rain this week, including areas recently affected by Hurricane Ida. This tropical storm has the potential to disrupt some power restoration and recovery work currently underway. I encourage anyone who has had recent damage from Ida, Laura or other disasters to take necessary measures to protect their home or business from additional harm. All Louisianans should to pay close attention to this tropical system in the coming days,” Gov. Edwards said.

Click here to read the state of emergency.

If travel is in your plans, visit www.511.la.org for updates on road conditions. GOHSEP is closely monitoring this weather threat and stands ready to support our local partners and state agencies if help if needed.

For updates from the Governor’s Office, text the word ‘IDA’ to 67283.

Find more tips on weather and preparedness on GOHSEP’s Facebook and Twitter accounts. Listen to conversations on all aspects of emergency management by downloading GOHSEP’s The Get A Game Plan Podcast. You can receive emergency alerts on most smartphones and tablets by downloading the new Alert FM App. It is free for basic service. The Get A Game Plan App is another resource available to help you and your family prepare for any type of emergency. You can download the Louisiana Emergency Preparedness Guide and find other information at www.getagameplan.org.