Louisiana Flooding: 8 Dead, Thousands of Homes Impacted, Backwater Flooding Continues

Skies in Louisiana have cleared, but there is no reprieve from the rains that have put most of the state underwater. The flooding has claimed the lives of eight people and forced authorities to rescue thousands as the number of people whose homes have flooded continues to rise Tuesday.

In Ascension Parish alone, south of Baton Rouge, nearly 15,000 homes have been affected by the flooding, and that number is expected to grow. On Tuesday, the parish was among eight others that were newly approved to be included under the federal disaster declaration, bringing the total number of parishes under the declaration to 12. Well over 20,000 people and 1000 pets had been rescued from the flooding and close to 40,000 homes had been impacted to varying degrees.

Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards has requested the declaration for a total 29 parishes and has urged residents whose parishes are currently not under the disaster declaration to register for FEMA assistance. Edwards said he is confident the additional parishes will be added to the disaster declaration. At least 8,000 people had spent the night in shelters as of Monday and that number is constantly changing.

In East Baton Rouge Parish, the sheriff's office reported that authorities no longer have any additional requests for rescues but are continuing to check for any stranded residents. The rescue efforts continued in Livingston Parish, but they were not reported to be life-threatening issues and the focus was on getting residents to dry land.

Livingston Sheriff Jason Ard said the flooding was some of the worst he has seen. "We've experienced flooding, Katrina, Rita, Isaac...this is by far the worst I've seen," Ard said in a statement.

At a press conference Tuesday, Edwards echoed that statement saying that the impact from the flooding should not be underestimated just because it is not a tropical storm or a hurricane and has not been named.

'This is a historic flooding event," he said.

Residents in parishes that are under the major disaster declaration can register for FEMA assistance online. As of Monday night, at least 40,000 people have registered for assistance online. Edwards warned people to be vary of scammers who may ask for money when they try to register for FEMA assistance.

Edwards said the state was still very much in the response stage but recovery efforts were beginning west of the Mississippi River. The governor stressed that officials would do whatever it takes to help residents affected by the flooding and asked for patience.

"Nobody has been forgotten," he said.

The National Weather Service forecasts scattered showers and thunderstorms along with high temperatures, but the main concern is backwater flooding along bayous and streams that feed into the Amite River.

Interstate 12, where dozens of motorists were stranded by the floods, had finally opened in both directions. The full list of road closures is available via 511, and an updated list of shelters is available here.

Main Image via Louisiana State Police