AT LEAST 7,000 people have been rescued from flood waters in south Louisiana.
Rescue crews worked through the night and into the day as deadly flooding that officials say has left at least three people dead and one missing continued to submerge large parts of the region today, three days after water-swelled streams and rivers began rising.
Historic floods
“This is a serious event,” Edwards said of the record floods he called “historic”.
“This is ongoing,” he added. “This is not over,” even with the rains lessening as they move west and the sun appearing in some flooded areas.
In one dramatic rescue in Baton Rouge captured on video, rescuers on a boat pulled a woman from a car that had just slipped under water.
The woman shouts, “Oh my God, I’m drowning!”
A rescuer jumps into the murky brown water and pulls her out by the arm. When she tries to dive under for her dog, he goes underwater and reappears holding the dog.
Local, state and national agencies have been working together to rescue residents.
The sheriff’s department told local media, with 100 people still waiting for help on today.
The Louisiana National Guard said in a statement that it had rescued nearly 500 people and 61 pets, including 15 rescues by air.
The Coast Guard said its helicopters rescued more than 50 people from rooftops, vehicles and trailers yesterday.
Most of the flooding has been around the capital Baton Rouge.
Governor Edwards said he and his family were forced to leave the governor’s mansion after water filled the basement, shutting off electricity.
The National Weather Service today issued flash flood warnings extending from the Texas coast to the Ohio River Valley.
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