UPDATE 2:
Inside Minden City limits Friday, there were 77 reported power outages, according to Mayor Nick Cox.
“There were definitely more that were not reported,” Cox said. “Limbs and trees were down mostly due to wind.”
Webster Parish Communications District Executive Director Angie Chapman said between the hours of 2 and 8 a.m. Friday, 911 Telecommunications processed 192 calls, “resulting in 72 incidents being dispatched to your emergency responders.”
Cox said Caddo and Bossier parishes suffered a great deal of loss, and many persons seeking food and gasoline headed east.
“Shreveport and Bossier may be closed, but Minden is definitely open,” said Cox, referring to long lines at local fuel stops and full parking lots at grocery stores.
UPDATE 1:
Webster Parish Sheriff Jason Parker said crews that included his deputies, local fire districts, Webster Parish Police Jury road crews, Department of Transportation and Development and power companies had been in the south end of the parish since 1:30 a.m. today.
“A tree fell on a cabin at Lake Bistineau State Park, but the people trapped in it are out,” the Sheriff said. “There were no injuries.”
Parker said a tree fell on a house on Fred Sanders Road in Heflin, trapping one man in his bed.
“We got him out and he was transported to a local medical center with minor injuries,” he said. “There was a child in the house that was transported just for precautionary reasons.
“It’s really bad in that area,” he said. “If I had to say anything else, it would be if you don’t have to be out today, please stay home. This is not a good time to be sight seeing.”
ORIGINAL STORY
By Bonnie Culverhouse
Apparently Minden was at the “top of the storm” that barreled through the area early this morning with 80-mph winds, thunder, lightning and hard rain.
Minden Mayor Nick Cox said a tree is down in Ridgewood that took out some power lines and there was a fire in the woods on Eames Street.
As the sun came out, Cox said further examination showed a lot of limbs down around the area. As of early this morning, many Entergy customers have no power, including Beaver Creek and Tanglewood.
South Webster Parish did not fare as well.
Sibley Mayor Jimmy Williams said his town’s power is out. Portions of Heflin, Doyline and Dubberly are in the dark.
A Hickory Hills Road residence said he has power there and never lost it.
Dixie Inn to Pleasant Valley shows outages. Dixie Inn Mayor Donna Hoffoss said her village is without power but around 5:30 a.m., she did not see much damage.
A spokesperson at the Webster Parish Sheriff’s Office said they had no reports from the north end of the parish. We will update when possible.
