“It’s coming up fast, man”, said Best, who was wearing little more than shorts and a pair of boat shoes.
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Drone video provided by Atmosphere Aerial is giving a snapshot of parts of Baton Rouge submerged underwater.
(Patrick Dennis/The Advocate via AP).
“That’s never happened before”, said the governor, whose family relocated to a state police facility in the Baton Rouge area.
Earlier this year, the same region of Louisiana and coastal areas of neighboring MS was hit by flooding that killed at least four people and damaged thousands of homes. Leanne Stockstill, center, is boated out of the Geo-Jes subdivision off Central Thruway and Frenchtown Road, Saturday, Aug. 13, 2016.
“Not long after the tragic flooding in North Louisiana, the same occurred in South Louisiana”, Cassidy said in a released statement.
And in many places, the water was still rising.
In a 24-hour period, Baton Rouge reported as much as 11.34 inches of rain compared with 2.34 inches at New Orleans’ global airport in Kenner. Drivers tried to navigate treacherous roads where the water lapped at the side or covered the asphalt in a running stream.
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.
Several more inches fell Saturday, according to the National Weather Service, which warned floods may spread to Texas.
Several rivers in Louisiana and MS are overflowing.
On Sunday night, President Barack Obama granted Edwards’ request for an emergency declaration to assist in response and recovery efforts.
“I have traveled to affected areas and have seen the destruction caused by this unprecedented flooding”, he said.
Four people have been reported dead, said Devin George, the state registrar for vital records.
On Saturday, another body of a woman was retrieved from the Tickfaw River in St. Helena Parish located northeast of Baton Rouge.
“They opened up their truck and started giving out fruits and vegetables to people”, she said. He said the basement of the Governor’s Mansion had flooded. One of those is at Celtic Studios which is a Baton Rouge movie sound stage.
But she wasn’t the only one trapped. He was rescued from his home by boat over the weekend.
“We are asking everyone to be patient…the simple fact is we are breaking records”.
He added, “I promised God when I saw my house didn’t have any water in it, I said, ‘Lord, I will be here to help the ones who did, ‘ and I am”.
In Mississippi, water rescues were conducted throughout the day and two people were reported with minor injuries in Harrison County, where roads were reopened by the afternoon, the state’s Emergency Management Agency said.
On Saturday, Gov. John Bel Edwards called the disaster a “truly historic event” that won’t be over anytime soon.
In one rescue on Saturday, two men on a boat pulled a woman from a auto that was nearly completely underwater. The woman, who is not initially visible on camera, yells from inside the vehicle: “Oh my god, I’m drowning”.
One of the rescuers, David Phung, jumped into the brown water and pulled the woman to safety. He got a good hold and pulled her to safety.
Motorists on Highway 190 drive through deep water through Holden, La.
As of Sunday morning, about 5,050 people were staying in parish and Red Cross shelters, Secretary of Children and Family Services Marketa Garner Walters said. Only people who meet admission criteria can be sheltered.
This is in addition to the state of emergency Edwards declared Friday.
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“We’re very much still in the search-and-rescue mode”, said James Waskcom, director of the state’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness.
