At least 40,000 homes have been destroyed since the start of the flooding. Dozens of deaths have been reported, while an unaccounted for amount of people have been reported missing.
According to the National Weather Service, the flooding will continue over the next few days, as a result of the constant rainfall that occurred previously.
In response to the natural disaster, President Barack Obama has made major disaster and flooding funding available for 20 affected parishes. According to the official White House website, the aid can assist in grants, property repair, temporary housing, and loans to repair uninsured, individual, and business damages. Acadia, Ascension, Avoyelles, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Evangeline, Iberia, Iberville, Jefferson Davis, Lafayette, Livingston, Pointe Coupee, St. Helena, St. Landry, St. Martin, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Vermilion, Washington and West Feliciana, are all on the affected list. FEMA is also contributing aid both on the ground and through their regional office in Texas.
Though steps are being made to help the citizens of the state recover, it is important to understand that a widespread area of communities are being affected by the floods and the reality is still a very traumatic scene for many. Images have surfaced of neighbors pulling each other from windows of their homes to escape potential drowning. Displays on social media show the real-time situations of children, the elderly, the homeless, and the sick stuck in flood waters. Other displays show the disheartening experience from the point of view of the state’s animals.
If someone you know is being affected by the floods in Louisiana, they can apply for individual monetary assistance online or by phone at www.DisasterAssistance.gov of 1-800-621-FEMA or 1-800-462-7585 for the hearing and speech impaired. For anyone outside of the affected areas who would like to donate to relief funds, organizations such as the American Red Cross and other local trusted churches and businesses are a good place to start.
Baller Alert will continue to provide updates if anything develops.
