Hundreds ordered to evacuate after flood barriers fail in Louisiana parish

Hundreds of homes are under mandatory evacuation after flood barriers were breached Friday morning in a rural southeastern Louisiana parish outside of Baton Rouge.

Hundreds of homes are under mandatory evacuation after flood barriers were breached Friday morning in a rural southeastern Louisiana parish outside of Baton Rouge. An artificial dam system set up along Louisiana Highway 75 in Iberville Parish to hold back floodwaters from the Intracoastal Waterway failed around 10 a.m. local time Friday, authorities said. Around 400 to 450 homes -- including close to 1,000 people -- in the Bayou Sorrel and Bayou Pigeon areas were ordered to evacuate as the highway flooded. The highway is closed due to high water and flooding. The National Weather Service is warning of life-threatening flash flooding, and a flash flood watch is in effect in the area until 5:45 p.m. local time.