Gov. Jindal declares state of emergency ahead of imminent Miss. River flooding

BATON ROUGE - Governor Bobby Jindal issued a state of emergency as the threat of flooding along the Mississippi River, Red River and other bodies of water in the state looms.

The National Weather Service has issued a flood warning along the length of the Mississippi River with predicted river crests well above flood stage in many locations. Recent weather conditions in the middle of the country are creating the potential for major flooding at several locations along the Mississippi River.

Similar warnings have been issued along the Red River and other Louisiana bodies of water.

Several parishes, including Concordia, East Carroll, Madison, Tensas and West Feliciana, have already declared states of emergency in order to assist residents in areas that are experiencing flooding. The release from the governor says additional parishes will declare states of emergency as the flooding threat develops.

Jindal’s office says the state of emergency extends from Wednesday to Thursday, Jan. 28 unless it is terminated sooner.

Gov. Jindal is set to hold a meeting at the Govenor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness Wednesday afternoon. Governor-elect John Bel Edwards will be in attendance at this meeting to ensure his administration is prepared with the latest details on the flooding situation. We'll have updates here on WBRZ.com.