The Louisiana Department of Health verifies three additional Hurricane Laura related deaths, bringing the state’s total hurricane death toll to 20.
Today, LDH officials say a 65-year-old man and a 50-year-old man both from Rapides parish, died from medical complications due to the excessively high heat following the loss of electricity.
The LDH says heat stroke is the most serious heat-related illness and occurs when the body’s temperature rises rapidly and the sweating mechanism fails to cool the body down. The signs of heat stroke include, throbbing headache, dizziness, confusion, nausea, rapid pulse, red hot skin with no sweat and body temperature above 103 degrees.If a person is suffering from heat stroke, health experts say get the person to a shady area, cool them down in any way possible, monitor body temperature, give them water and seek medical assistance.
A 70-year-old male in Calcasieu Parish also died due to carbon monoxide poisoning from running a generator in a poorly ventilated area.
Below are details on the 20 deaths LDH has verified to date:
14-year-old female, Vernon Parish, fallen tree
51-year-old male, Jackson Parish, fallen tree
68-year-old male, Acadia Parish, fallen tree
64-year-old female, Allen Parish, fallen tree
Male, Calcasieu Parish, drowning
24-year-old male, Calcasieu Parish, carbon monoxide poisoning from generator
56-year-old female, Calcasieu Parish, carbon monoxide poisoning from generator
61-year-old male, Calcasieu Parish, carbon monoxide poisoning from generator
81-year-old female, Calcasieu Parish, carbon monoxide poisoning from generator
72-year-old male, Calcasieu Parish, carbon monoxide poisoning from generator
84-year-old male, Allen Parish, carbon monoxide poisoning from generator
80-year-old female, Allen Parish, carbon monoxide poisoning from generator
57-year-old male, Calcasieu Parish, head injury after falling from roof
31-year-old male, Calcasieu Parish, carbon monoxide poisoning
49-year-old male, Rapides Parish, storm cleanup
36-year-old male, Beauregard Parish, heat-related illness
80- to 89-year-old female, Beauregard Parish, heat-related illness
65-year-old male, Rapides Parish, heat-related illness
50-year-old male, Rapides Parish, heat-related illness
70-year-old male, Calcasieu Parish, carbon monoxide poisoning from generator