After heavy rains flooded south Louisiana interstate on Friday, emergency crews have not stopped rescuing people from their homes and cars. Around 10 inches of rain fell before the weekend. In 24 hours the water reaches between 11 and 17 inches in different parts of the state. At least seven thousand people have been rescued, and three dead bodies have been recovered.
North Louisiana has been warned since rains could probably turn to that area in the next week, according to forecasters. Emergency crews continued rescuing people on Sunday. Even Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards had to evacuate the Governor’s Mansion because the water levels in the basement reached the chest of a person and power had to be shut off.
Edwards declared a state of emergency and said that a flooding like the current one had never happened before in Louisiana. The governor and his family were relocated to a police facility in the Baton Rouge area.
The governor’s office stated on Saturday that rescuers had sheltered over 1 thousand people. But at the end of that day, Jason Ard, Livingston Parish Sheriff, said that only in his parish more than 2 thousand people had been rescued, while others are still waiting for help.
The flooded has covered shopping centers in Livingston Parish. The only thing visible are floating cars and rooftops. The most concerning fact is that water is still rising. People would have to wait a few days before rivers start to crest.
Some victims could not fight high levels of water
A body was recovered on Saturday from the Tickfaw River, said Michael Martin, chief of operation for the St. Helena Sheriff’s Office. The woman was from Amite and along with her husband and her mother-in-law, she was on a state highway on Friday when the water swept her vehicle.
Also on Friday, a man slipped into a flooded ditch near the city of Zachary. Rescuers recovered the body of the 68-year-old man. In St. Helena Parish, crews pulled the body of a 54-year-old man that was trapped on a submerged pickup on Louisiana Highway 10, according to Fox News.
Mississippi has also been affected by the rains, and some rivers have overflown. Officials do not know how widespread the damage is and Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant declared a state of emergency in several of the state’s counties.
People are desperate to return home
Louisiana Governor said that even when the rain stopped, the affected areas are still too dangerous because the level of water could still increase in the coming days. Edwards is concerned because some people might not wait to go to their homes and cars, risking their lives. He urges people to be patient and avoid going out to see what the flooded has done until authorities announce it is safe to go out.
Source: Fox News