Louisiana flooding claims eight lives so far

BATON ROUGE, LA (AP) – Eight deaths are now attributed to the storms and flooding in south Louisiana.

Devin George, state registrar for vital records, said Tuesday the latest confirmed death occurred in East Baton Rouge Parish. A 66-year-old man’s body was found in the Sherwood Forest area.

George described it as an “accidental drowning” related to the storm.

Of the eight deaths, two were in Tangipahoa Parish, two were in St. Helena Parish and the other four were in East Baton Rouge Parish.

Floodwaters are receding in many parts of south Louisiana on Tuesday, though they are continuing to rise in other areas as the water drains south.

Louisiana’s governor says at least 40,000 homes have been impacted by the historic floods in the southern part of the state.

Gov. John Bel Edwards said during a news conference Tuesday that the state is entering a recovery phase while also continuing search and rescue missions in other places. He says well over 20,000 people have been rescued. More than 8,000 are staying in shelters, but that number is fluctuating as people arrive and leave the shelters.

Edwards spoke after meeting with FEMA administrator Craig Fugate. The head of FEMA says the agency understands that the state is suffering through a “very large disaster” even though it might not be getting a lot of attention in the news.

The flooding started Friday when a torrent of about 2 feet of rain inundated the state.