WATCH: Rose Parade officials hold moment of silence for New Orleans victims [Video]

“We stand in solidarity with the entire state [of Louisiana] at this difficult time. Let’s take a few moments of silence please,” an unidentified individual speaking to a crowd at the Tournament House said. 

The Rose Parade began at 11 a.m. Eastern with the official broadcast sending condolences and prayers to the people of New Orleans and Louisiana. The parade is followed by the No. 1 ranked and top-seeded Oregon Ducks facing the eighth-seeded Ohio State Buckeyes in a College Football Playoff quarterfinal at the Rose Bowl. 

Crowds in New Orleans were ballooning in anticipation of Wednesday night’s Sugar Bowl college football playoff game between Georgia and Notre Dame at the nearby Superdome. The stadium was on lockdown Wednesday morning, but the game was expected to go on as scheduled.

Authorities say 15 people were killed and more than 30 others were …