At least 40,000 homes were damaged and 11 people killed in the historic Louisiana floods, the governor said today, giving a stark assessment of the widespread disaster.
The Associated Press reports that Gov. John Bel Edwards spoke at a news conference alongside Federal Emergency Management Agency administrator Craig Fugate, saying “well over” 20,000 people have been rescued since the flooding began Friday. His office later increased that figure to more than 30,000.
There were scattered reports of looting, and  Edwards said parishes with widespread damage would be placed under curfew beginning Tuesday night.
Beginning Friday, a torrent of about 2 feet of rain inundated the southern part of the state over a 48-hour period, and days later many homes and businesses were still underwater.
While some areas were entering recovery mode, the governor warned new places downstream could see flooding and that officials are still in search and rescue mode.
“I don’t know we have a good handle on the number of people who are missing,” the governor said.
Some residents returned to their flood-damaged homes and businesses for the first time today and found a soggy mess.
The extent of damage is coming into clearer view. About 40,000 people had signed up for assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and 16 parishes were added to the federal disaster declaration, bringing the total to 20.
In Livingston Parish, one of the hardest-hit areas with about 138,000 people, an official estimated that 75% of the homes were a total loss.
In Tangipahoa Parish, Parish President Robby Miller said at least 7,500 homes had flood damage, meaning they took on anywhere from an inch of water to water up to the roof. That number could go as high as 10,000, he said, which would be about a quarter of the homes in the parish.
But Lori Steele, spokeswoman for the Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office, was upbeat, saying the rescues taking place now are less of a “life-saving nature” and more to help people who were running low on supplies in flooded areas. As the main roads drain, emergency crews were going to be able get hot meals, water and medical supplies to the 25 shelters in the parish.
“We’re tired, but today’s a good day,” she said.
Rivers and creeks were still dangerously bloated in areas south of Baton Rouge as people filled sandbags there to protect their houses, bracing for the worst as the water worked its way south. In Ascension Parish, officials said some small towns have already been inundated. In St. James Parish, authorities called for volunteers to help fill sandbags.
Nearly 800 evacuees were gathered in a makeshift Red Cross shelter established in Gonzales at the Lamar Dixon Expo Center, a multipurpose facility that has hosted rodeos, car and truck shows and concerts. Even more people escaping the flood were at an RV park on the site.
Tables were stacked with supplies, and a short line of people waited for medical assistance at the nursing station. Music played outside, while children with hula hoops and other games appeared oblivious to the nearby flooding that threatened their homes.
Evacuated cows and horses were housed on the property, along with pets rescued.
The slow-moving, low-pressure system crawled into Texas, but the National Weather Service warned the danger of new flooding remained high due to the sheer volume of water flowing toward the Gulf of Mexico.
The latest deaths were attributed to three accidental drownings. No other details were immediately released about how the men died.
