U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson is due to survey recovery efforts in the southern state of Louisiana Thursday where unprecedented flooding has left at least 13 people dead.
The floods around Baton Rouge came from record-breaking rains of more than 75 centimeters that began last week. An estimated 40,000 homes have been damaged.
“I stayed through hurricanes. I stayed through other things. This has got to be the worst,” resident Moosie Benoit said.
Another resident, James Lane, said the flooding destroyed his home in Baton Rouge, a place he moved to after losing everything in Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
“I can’t even think about what to do, just got to go with it as it comes and when it’s done clean up and start all over,” he said.
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) officials and volunteers have been on the ground for a few days now, as have Red Cross volunteers.
“It’s safe to say that the state in general is very accustomed to hurricanes,” Craig Cooper of the Red Cross told VOA. “But this was a massive rain incident and what we’ve learned is that in many, many areas these were communities that have either never been flooded or they have to remember back 30 years.”
More than 30,000 people have been rescued since Friday. Most of those rescues were made by the National Guard and state authorities, but city residents with boats, trucks and kayaks have taken it upon themselves to help out.
Cooper noted that along with citizens of the community coming forth to help out, people from all around the country have come to Baton Rouge to volunteer for the Red Cross.
But in addition to the vast physical and emotional damage caused by the floods, the chaotic state of Baton Rouge has lent itself to looters and scams. A nighttime curfew was imposed in some areas.
Additionally, Governor Edwards warned residents Tuesday that FEMA employees do not ask for payment for services, and to be wary of scams.
President Obama has been updating the list of affected areas of Baton Rouge approved federal emergency funding since Sunday. Over 70,000 people have registered for individual assistance under the federal disaster declaration, the White House said Wednesday.
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