Updated:
New reports say that 80% of residents in the Baton Rouge area will face a total loss when they return home when flood waters reside, according to ABC news.
The death toll has now reached 8, with around 40,000 homes directly affected by the floods. The areas cemeteries have also been disturbed during the chaos. The Walker Police Department reported that caskets at St. Mark’s Cemetery have floated above ground, drifting through residential neighborhoods.
We previously reported, the city of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, is reeling after heavy rainfall led to the deaths of at least four people, with 20,000 others being rescued by air and land, NBC reports.
The rain started on Friday, bringing six to 10 inches of rainfall to the southeast portion of the state. The rain continued into Saturday, with more rainfall expected Monday.
“It’s not over,” Gov. John Bel Edwards said in a statement. “The water’s going to rise in many areas. It’s no time to let the guard down.”
President Barack Obama announced a disaster declaration for the hardest hit areas — freeing up federal funding for disaster relief assistance for East Baton Rouge, Livingston, St. Helena, and Tangipahoa.
Emergency crews rescued residents by air or using high-water vehicles. Ten thousand people remained in shelters Sunday night.
The latest casualty reported was a 59-year-old man who was allegedly swept into the waters as he walked along a roadway on Friday.
Residents are advised to stay in their homes and off of roads, unless they’ve been told to evacuate.
SOURCE: NBC | PHOTO CREDIT: Getty, Twitter
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