Normally, April 15 is a year that Americans look upon with dread. It is typically the deadline to file income taxes with the IRS.

However, Washington Parish residents still have several months before their taxes are due. Because of the heavy flooding that hit the parish in March, citizens who live here have until July 15 to file taxes. This extension applies to both federal and state taxes.

Citizens nationwide also have a reprieve this year, although it’s not as long as the one in Louisiana.

Emancipation Day, which is a Washington, D.C., holiday, is normally April 16. It commemorates President Abraham Lincoln’s signing of the District of Columbia Compensated Emancipation Act. That act freed more than 3,000 enslaved people in the District of Columbia and compensated their owners.

Emancipation Day is on a Saturday this year, so it is being celebrated today. It is a legal holiday in Washington, D.C., and many federal agencies are closed. Therefore, taxes for the rest of the country are due Monday, April 18.

Although the extended deadline is in effect, it’s still a good idea to take care of taxes quickly. July 15 will be here sooner than you realize.