11 killed, 40,000 homes impacted by deadly flooding in Louisiana

Deadly flooding in Louisiana has impacted at least 40,000 homes, Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards said during a Tuesday afternoon news conference, while 30,000 people and 1,000 pets have been rescued. 40,000 people have registered with FEMA for disaster assistance. At least 11 people have died in the floods. 


The governor expects close to 30 parishes to be declared disasters, CNN reports, nearly half of the state's 64 parishes. 



"We're going to have standing water all over south Louisiana," Edwards told CNN. 


Ascension Parish was one of those hit especially hard. Nearly a third of all the homes in the parish have after floodwater overtopped a levee along the Amite River, the Baton Rouge Advocate says. Parish officials estimate that as many as 15,000 homes and businesses have already been flooded, mostly in Galvez and St. Amant, the Advocate reports. 


"The next 24 to 48 hours is going to be a significant indication of just how much risk the parish remains in," Rick Webre, director of the parish Office of Homeland Security, said in an emergency statement. 


A Livingston Parish official estimated to the Associated Press that 75 percent of the homes in the parish, which contains about 138,000 people, were a "total loss." 


Federal Emergency Declared 


The federal government declared a major disaster after days of torrential rain inundated the state, flooding thousands of homes and prompting thousands of water rescues. 


On Tuesday, a reported 60,000 people had signed up for assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, according to Edwards. Eight parishes were added to the federal disaster declaration, bringing the total to 12, AP reports. 


(MORE: Where This Storm System Is Headed Next) 


Gov. Edwards said Tuesday that more than 30,000 people had been rescued by all participating agencies and volunteers since the flooding outbreak began. 


"This is a serious event," Edwards said. "It is ongoing. It is not over." 


The governor said in a press conference Sunday that as many as 10,000 people were in shelters as a result of the widespread flooding. 


The downpours have sent at least six river gauges to record levels in Louisiana. This includes the Amite River, which exceeded its previous record by over 6 feet in Magnolia, and by over 4 feet in Denham Springs

Source: NNA