Danielle Blount carries her 3-month-old baby Ember to a truck from the Louisiana Army National Guard as they evacuate the area near Walker, La., after heavy rains inundated the region on Aug, 14.
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Louisiana Army National Guard members rescue people from rising waters near Walker on Sunday.
In Baker, just north of Baton Rouge, residents were rescued by boats or waded through waist-deep, water to reach dry ground.
Motorists on Highway 190 drive through deep water through Holden, La.
According to the Weather Channel, at least six rivers in the area have hit record-high levels – one river broke its record by as much as 6 feet.
In an event that appears to be straight out of a climate change powerpoint, southern Louisiana has been hit with unprecedented flooding over the past several days, leading the federal government to declare a state of “major disaster” for several parishes.
Swollen rivers in Louisiana are expected to keep rising Monday as deadly floodwaters have displaced tens of thousands of people and prompted a state of emergency.
Preliminary data from the National Weather Service said that in some parts of Louisiana, as much as 26 inches of rain fell.
“It’s one thing to say we’re getting set up for a lot of rain”.
The governor said that flooding records are being broken, adding that the crisis is not over and the water is still going to rise in many areas.
Efferson says the Comite River just east of Baton Rouge on this morning dropped almost 2 feet from the 34.2-feet level over the weekend.
On Sunday night, President Barack Obama granted Edwards’ request for an emergency declaration to assist in response and recovery efforts.
Louisiana state police Col Michael Edmonson said helicopters were transporting food and water to those still trapped by floods.
Government offices in more than two dozen parishes across the state were shuttered Monday, and the same offices were also going to be closed Tuesday, officials said.
Earlier in the day, Edwards said more than 1,000 people had been rescued.
Flooded homes in Hammond, Louisiana on Saturday, August 13.
“Snakes were everywhere”, she said.
The governor toured flood-ravaged areas by helicopter later Saturday after rivers and creeks burst their banks and warned Louisiana residents it would be too risky to venture out even after the rains start to subside.
The torrential rains, which also affected the neighboring state of MS, slackened on Sunday as authorities intensified their rescue efforts, although the high waters continue to pose a danger to people across a large part of the state. Farmland was covered and streets descended into impassable pools of water.
The rain clocked in stunning numbers over the weekend: 22 inches in Livingston, La., near Baton Rouge, and 18 inches in Kentwood, La., a rural town near the MS border that is home to singer Britney Spears, the National Weather Service in Baton Rouge reported. Flood stage is 20 feet. A Greyhound bus traveling from Memphis, Tennessee, to Baton Rouge was diverted to a shelter because of flooded roadways. Flood stage is 29 feet.
Edwards was himself an evacuee: chest-high waters filled the basement of the Governor’s Mansion and cut off electricity, forcing him and his family to seek shelter elsewhere. The Creel family was stocking up before returning to their flood damaged home.
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“This is the first time I’ve flown inland SAR”, he said.
