Louisiana’s governor John Bel Edwards declared the state of emergency after a torrential rainfall slammed Louisiana. There are two confirmed deaths while almost 1,000 people have been rescued from the high waters. The flooding is expected to continue and extend to the west.
18 parishes have already declared the state of emergency given the historical high water levels registered, and three more are about to declare it. Two people are confirmed dead after the flood hit Amite. One casualty was reported in East Baton Rouge Parish and the other in St. Helena Parish. In addition to fatalities, there are several people missing. This situation has led the governor to declare the state of emergency in Louisiana on Friday, which is supposed to be enforced until September 10th.
There are flash floods warnings made to parts of Louisiana through the weekend. The rainfall is threatening all of the U.S Gulf Coast, rising flood warnings in parts of Mississippi and Texas. But mainly it has affected Louisiana.
“This is a major disaster,” said governor Edwards, “this is an ongoing event and we are still in the response mode”.
The rainfall won’t be over anytime soon
On Saturday, over 18 inches of rain have been recorded in several parts of Louisiana and it is expected that the rain continues, adding an extra 5 inches of rain during the weekend. Rivers in Louisiana are spilling over and the flooding is likely to worsen over the next couple of days, according to the authorities.
Governor Edward has described the flooding as more dangerous than the one occurred in March when at least four people were found dead and thousands of homes and properties suffered important damages throughout the state.
Up until now, around a thousand people and 100 pets in Louisiana have been rescued from homes, trees and cars. There are approximately 1000 soldiers from the Louisiana National Guard on the ground helping and rescuing people, and it is estimated that around 200 more soldiers join to such activities by the end of Saturday.
“The most important thing to remember is to obey road signs and to constantly monitor the news for updates to ensure everyone’s safety. Every available resource will be used to assist citizens as this situation continues to unfold.” affirmed the governor.
A lot of people has been evacuated from their houses, being relocated in the 16 shelters available. The authorities have also asked people to stay off the roads, as more than 100 roads have been closed for precaution along the state.
A deadly rainfall
The authorities confirmed the death of a 68-year-old man in Baker, near to the state capital. Apparently, the man drowned after slipping when he was trying to evacuate his home. Moreover, a 54-year-old man in Greensburg at the St. Helena Parish, died being unable to escape when his vehicle, a pickup truck, was swept off the highway and later submerged under the high waters.
The rescue crew is also trying to rescue another person in St. Helena Parish, though they believed that person might be already dead. About 210 people have been rescued in the named parish. As well, the governor indicated that he knows there are people who are still trapped in their houses because of the flood. As well, it is expected that Louisiana asks for federal help to recover from the disastrous rainfall.
Source: Reuters