Johnson at a news conference in Louisiana Thursday pledged, “we will be here as long as it takes to let this community recover”.
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The announcement comes hours after Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump toured areas affected by the floods in Baton Rouge with his running mate, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence.
In a clear swipe at her rival, Clinton added: “The relief effort can’t afford any distractions”.
The deluge that dumped more than 2-1/2 feet (0.76 metre) on parts of Louisiana has been described as the worst USA disaster since Superstorm Sandy in 2012.
“To the people of Louisiana: We are with you and will always be with you”, Trump added.
“The president says he doesn’t want to come, he is trying to get out of a golf game”, Trump told volunteers at Greenwell Springs Baptist Church.
White House officials said the president is mindful of the impact that his travel has on first responders and wants to ensure that his presence does not interfere with ongoing recovery efforts. He said he welcomed Trump’s visit as long as it wasn’t intended as a “photo-op” for political gain.
US President Barack Obama arrives at Bangkok’s Don Muang International Airport on the first day of his three-nation Southeast Asia tour that will see a historic visit to Myanmar.
Obama is scheduled to return to Washington on Sunday, so the visit to Louisiana will not force him to curtail his vacation.
BATON ROUGE, LA – AUGUST 15: Richard Schafer navigates a boat past a flooded home on August 15, 2016 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The president has also declared it a federal disaster, freeing up emergency resources.
Trump met with individual homeowners and a group of volunteers at a church outside Baton Rouge, where days of torrential rain caused rivers to overflow their banks, sending walls of water crashing into neighborhoods across central Louisiana. In 2005, a fly-over by a vacationing President George W. Bush became a symbol of official neglect for the victims of Hurricane Katrina. He said he “saw strength” and “spirit” and that “they will overcome”. “I don’t care if he gives a nickel, he showed he cared by coming here”. It also came after Friday’s visit to the region by Republican nominee Donald Trump, who called for a more robust national response. Hillary Clinton, Trump’s Democratic rival in the November 8 election, said on social media that she had spoken with the governor by phone on Friday, and the flooding was worse than expected.
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Thousands of people must now contend with flood-hit homes and about 4,000 people were in shelters, according to state officials.
