Officials painted a stark picture of the crisis: at least 40,000 homes damaged and 11 people killed in some of the worst flooding in Louisiana history.
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“This event is ongoing, it is not over”, he said.
Towns downstream of the areas hardest hit over the weekend watched anxiously as floodwaters crested and slowly began receding overnight.
Baton Rouge Bishop Robert W. Muench visited three evacuation shelters August 14 to comfort evacuees.
More than 3,300 Guardsmen are involved flood operations – about a third of the force, defense officials said. Muddy water covered roads, forested areas, and residential zones, cars and even the better part of some dwellings.
Louisiana officials have increased the death toll to 10 from the unprecedented flooding in the southern part of the state.
On Sunday, Governor Edwards requested that President Barack Obama declare a major disaster for 21 Louisiana parishes.
“I’m not going to lie, I cried uncontrollably”, he said. Music played outside, while children with hula hoops and other games appeared oblivious to the nearby flooding that threatened their homes.
About 30,000 people had been rescued, including a 78-year-old woman who spent a night in a tree, police told CNN. The ground became saturated, and some rivers rose six feet higher than ever recorded. Due to flooding, a section of the Intracoastal Waterway near Port Allen was closed by the U.S. Coast Guard on Monday.
The governor said he is anxious about “battle fatigue” setting in as rescuers and residents deal with day upon day of stress.
At the same news conference, Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Craig Fugate called the state a “very large disaster area”.
According to the governor’s office, more than 40,000 people have already registered with FEMA, seeking assistance because of the flood.
The American Red Cross said that it was responding to the disaster, which it called the worst since Superstorm Sandy flooded coastal areas of NY and New Jersey in 2012.
Many parishes in Louisiana were collecting donations for flood victims.
At Iberia Parish, officials were collecting school uniforms, clothes, bedding, and personal hygiene products, among other items.
Devin George, state registrar for vital records, says the latest confirmed death occurred in East Baton Rouge Parish. Yet the forecasts Thursday were for 8 inches of rain, with higher totals expected in some areas.
Jared Serigne of St. Bernard Parish said he helped organize volunteer efforts involving roughly 70 experienced boaters who helped hundreds of people from flooded communities.
A woman can be heard inside the vehicle, saying: “Oh my god, I’m drowning”.
A rescuer jumps into the murky brown water and pulls her out by the arm.
As soon as she is free, she pleads: “Get my dog”.
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Forecasters predict the storm will turn north, saying parts of central and northern Louisiana and southern Texas may see heavy rain for several days.
