Gov. Edwards establishes Harvey-aid outpost in neighboring Texas: 'It's just the right thing to do'

ORANGE, Texas — Louisiana is opening its arms to the state of Texas as it struggles in the wake of Harvey, offering rescue, shelter and other assistance after Louisiana managed to skate by with little damage from the one-time Category 4 hurricane this week.

"We've been there. We're pretty good at this," Gov. John Bel Edwards said Wednesday as he surveyed a makeshift staging area on Interstate 10 just west of the Louisiana-Texas border — a trailer and some trucks largely manned by State Police, local law enforcement and Louisiana National Guardsmen.

Seeing that Louisiana was faring better than was once anticipated, Edwards opened up the outpost to direct state resources to assisting its neighbor.

The staging area is virtually an island of its own — the interstate isn't open to regular traffic here. Rescue crews drive both ways on one half of the interstate, which was lined by steadily rising water as Edwards was briefed on the operations.

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