Floodwaters reach the front steps of a home near Holden, La., after heavy rains inundated the region, Sunday, Aug. 14, 2016.
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Louisiana Army National Guard members rescue people from rising waters near Walker on Sunday.
The U.S. Coast Guard said it had rescued more than 118 people and assisted more than 766 in Baton Rouge on Sunday.
Helicopters, including aircraft from the National Guard and Louisiana State Police Air Support Unit, also flew food and water to motorists stranded along Interstate 12, some of whom were on the highway for more than 24 hours before they could be evacuated.
Gov. John Bel Edwards said 40,000 businesses and homes are without power, and rescue workers are still “bringing people out of homes to safety”, particularly in the hardest-hit areas around Baton Rouge.
The deadly storm system that wreaked havoc on Louisiana, where more than 20,000 had to be rescued, is working its way into the Midwest, where officials are braced for major flooding. Six people have died and over 20,000 rescues have been made.
Some regions of Louisiana are used to seasonal high water, Debbie says, but this flooding is different. The agency continued to issue flood warnings, saying water in many areas would not recede at least for another day.
“I have traveled to affected areas and have seen the destruction caused by this unprecedented flooding”, Edwards said Sunday in a statement.
In a normal August, Baton Rouge usually gets 2.5 inches of rain from Aug. 1 to Aug. 15, according to weather service data.
Pierre and Barbara Pitard, both 76, said they had just minutes to leave their home in Denham Springs as the water rose rapidly. The worst floods are concentrated in the southeastern portion of the state in places like Baton Rouge. Forecaster Alek Krautmann said both rivers could flood many houses in suburban areas near Baton Rouge. She felt fortunate the flooding stopped a block short of her home, but she owns a couple of water-damaged rental properties that aren’t covered by flood insurance.
Ray Cutrer told CNN that the water took his family by surprise.
“We are going to get through this”, Edwards said, adding: “We have a lot of work ahead of us”.
Cars stuck on flooded O’Neal Lane in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
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. “It’s another thing to say where is this going to be”, Graham said.
Cobb said some of the people stranded were actually fleeing flooding in their homes when they got caught on the freeway. A rescue team steers their boat toward a red vehicle that is nearly completely submerged in the green-brown water.
The woman shouts, “Oh my God, I’m drowning!”
Rescuer David Phung then leaps into the water and rips open the cloth top of the convertible, pulling the woman through the water and onto the surface.
If a person’s condition is too critical, they will be referred to a hospital for sheltering or admission. The shelters themselves were not immune to flooding, however, and some had to be evacuated due to rising waters, authorities said.
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When she tries to dive under for her dog, the rescuer goes underwater and reappears holding the animal.
