Jefferson schools delay dismissal as flooded roads drain

UPDATE: Jefferson Parish School Board officials gave schools the all clear to dismiss around 3:45 p.m.

Flooding in Jefferson Parish has forced public school officials there to keep students on campuses longer than usual.

Jefferson Parish School Board officials announced that schools in the parish will observe a delayed dismissal on Wednesday. The goal, officials say, is to allow local roads to drain before buses begin running. Students who walk to school will need to be accompanied home by a parent or guardian once dismissal takes place.

Emergency preparedness officials in Jefferson Parish say there is light at the end of the tunnel and that the relief is on the way.

"The last of the rain has passed through according to the National Weather Service," Jefferson Parish emergency preparedness director Joe Valiente told WWL's Scoot on the Air, noting that the parish's pumps should remove water from the streets between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. "We're at 105-percent capacity right now. It's been that way since 6 a.m. this morning. We've taken on over eight inches of rain in six hours, which is an incredible amount."