With potential hurricane brewing in the Gulf of Mexico, Lafayette Consolidated Government has formally declared a state of emergency.
The system is projected to make landfall later this week, potentially as a category 1 hurricane. Once strengthened into a tropical storm, expected as early as Monday, it would be named Francine.
Emergency declarations trigger extraordinary powers for local government as needed to respond to a crisis. During a state of emergency, LCG can organize evacuation and relocation efforts, suspend some local regulations and “commandeer” private property, according to state law.