Mental health resources for people after tornadoes in Louisiana

Allison Bruhl

2 years ago

Debris is piled up following severe weather Wednesday, Dec. 14, 2022, in Keithville, La. A volatile storm ripping across the U.S. spawned tornadoes that killed a young boy and his mother in Louisiana, smashed mobile homes and chicken houses in Mississippi and threatened neighboring Southern states with more punishing weather Wednesday. (AP Photo/Jake Bleiberg)

BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) — After tornadoes in Louisiana killed three and left destruction in different parts of the state, Governor John Bel Edwards is urging people to reach out for help.

He directed people to three Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) hotlines available:

Office of Behavioral Health Help Line: 1-877-664-2248
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255
CrisisText Line: Text HOME to 741741

“We know bad storms can bring mental health challenges,” Gov. Edwards said. “It’s OK to not be OK, and you are not alone.”

Three were killed in storms Tuesday and Wednesday. According to LDH, a 56-year-old woman died in St. Charles Parish and a 30-year-old mother and her eight-year-old son died in Caddo Parish.

Gov. Edwards declared a State of Emergency after Tuesday’s storms.