SLIDELL, La. — Monday’s pop-up storm caused flash flooding across the metro New Orleans area, including Slidell.
The rapidly rising flood waters caused ditches to fill with water and, in some areas blend in with the roadway.
A 76-year-old woman driving in Slidell was caught in the downpour and accidentally drove her SUV into one of those ditches. Her vehicle then flooded and stalled in the water.
That is when Slidell Police Officer Jason Walden came to the rescue. Video from his body-worn camera shows Officer Walden wading through knee-deep flood water to help the stranded woman out of her vehicle and walk her to safety.
“This, unfortunately, happens quite often when it rains this hard in such a short amount of time. This nice lady was scared at first, but Officer Walden calmed her and reassured her that everything was going to be ok…he even tried his best to keep her dry with his umbrella,” the Slidell Police Department said in a social media video post.
Heavy rain hit Slidell just before noon, causing parts of Gause Blvd. to become impassable. The rains moved to the south shore, dropping seven inches of rain in parts of Lakeview, 5 inches in Mid-City, and 4 in Gentilly.
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