I know that most French-speaking Louisianans speak English, but it is disappointing that the National Weather Service offices down there don't translate alerts to French.

Some parishes are >10% native French speaking.

More understanding of #weather hazards occurs when those alerts are conveyed in the end user's native tongue.

Even if it only matters to a very small minority, it matters.

NWS offices serving Burlington, Miami, and New York City provide French translations.

#LAwx

@ingalls Probably because the French spoken in LA is Cajun rather than French. They don’t understand French any more than the French understand Cajun. It’s a wider gap than français and québecois. @ai6yr

@AlliFlowers @ai6yr In either case, translations should be occurring.

@ingalls @AlliFlowers @ai6yr Actually, some of the oldest Louisianians (aka my father in law) are fluent in both French and English. Acadian French and traditional French are close enough to be understood by all. And now there are so many French Immersion programs in the schools there, French is being revived and preserved among the youngsters! There are still a couple of radio shows that speak only French in Lafayette.

My FIL would dig a French NWS translation, for sure, but there are not many folks left alive there who speak only French. I take it the NWS does this for Spanish throughout the US?

@firefly @AlliFlowers @ai6yr Only select NWS offices and the NHC translate to Spanish, it is not universal.