BATON ROUGE – Governor John Bel Edwards praised the preparations state and local leaders made while Hurricane Nate was heading for Louisiana.

As it turns out, the state avoided almost all damage from the storm.

It always pays to be prepared, though, Edwards said.

Here’s a statement Edwards made at a briefing with first responders:

Hurricane Nate had the potential to wreak havoc on Louisiana, but thankfully, we were largely spared major damage. We can never predict with complete accuracy where a storm will go, but we can always be prepared. Hurricane Nate moved at an unprecedented speed towards the Gulf Coast. Because it moved so quickly, the damage was minimal in Louisiana. However, a shift of a mere 50 miles to the West would have brought damaging winds and life-threatening storm surges. State, local, and federal officials mobilized quickly to ensure our citizens had the information they needed to stay safe. In Louisiana, we have far too much practice preparing for disasters, but I am confident that we will be ready for the next storm should we not be so lucky. Our neighbors to the East are taking the brunt of this storm, and we offer them our prayers and support as they assess the damage.