Barack Obama declared Louisiana a federal disaster zone on Sunday after historic flash floods in the state left at least six people dead and caused more than 20,000 people to be rescued.
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Meanwhile, Gov. John Bel Edwards told media Sunday that more than 7,000 people had to be rescued from their homes over the weekend.
Police were rescuing people from cars stranded on a miles-long stretch of Interstate 12, which was closed from Baton Rouge to Tangipahoa Parish.
Over 1,700 rescue personnel were mobilized and nearly 170 high-water vehicles were staged, according to the Louisiana National Guard.
The southern Louisiana parishes of East Baton Rouge, Livingston, St. Helene and Tangipahoa are covered by the disaster declaration the White House announced Sunday night. At least one hospital in the Baton Rouge area has evacuated critically-ill patients due to rising waters.
Emergency management officials joined the governor at a press conference this afternoon and emphasized a search and rescue operations was still underway, and that boats and helicopters have been deployed in the search efforts. “It is ongoing. It is not over”, said the governor, emphasizing that in some areas water is still rising.
At least five people have died. She and her husband will live with him and his wife until repairs are done, he said.
The Comite River receded back below flood stage Monday, and parts of the Amite River were falling, although still remaining well above flood stage. According to witnesses, the woman was seen Saturday night attempting to turn around in high water when her vehicle was swept away, the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office said.
Drone footage captured entire neighborhoods under waist-high muddy waters and cars completely submerged as boats cruised down the streets of Baton Rouge.
In a 24-hour period, Baton Rouge reported as much as 11.34 inches of rain compared with 2.34 inches at New Orleans’ worldwide airport in Kenner.
About 5,000 people had been forced to sleep in shelters overnight around the state, said Marketa Walters, head of Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services. He said the storm had “subsided in its intensity” but called on people to refrain from going out to “sightsee” as the weather gets better. Once she was freed, one of the men then dove again into the murky water to save her dog.
One bit of brighter news for Louisiana is that the state won’t see as much heavy rain on Monday, according to Weather Channel meteorologist Kevin Roth. “Get my dog, now”.
Motorists on Highway 190 drive through deep water through Holden, La., after heavy rains inundated the region, Sunday, Aug. 14, 2016.
Just as the auto was sucked under water, becoming submerged, a rescue worker reached the vehicle and dove into the water on the driver’s side to help.
FEMA is now on scene in Baton Rouge assessing the damage.
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Southern Louisiana has been hit hard by a deadly, historic flooding – the latest only of the recorded floods that the state has suffered earlier this year. He returned on Saturday to find the flooding had severely damaged his daughter’s house while his own next door was unscathed.
