NOLA.com--Nearly 5,000 homes in Louisiana have been damaged by flooding after heavy rains swept across the state, according to initial figures released Sunday (March 13) by the Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness. Officials warned the count is likely to grow as damage is assessed in southeast Louisiana.
Emergency officials have counted 4,958 damaged homes so far as response efforts to historic river flooding continue in many parts of the state, including in western St. Tammany Parish and Tangipahoa Parish.
GOHSEP spokesman Mike Steele described the initial count as "very, very preliminary," reflecting damage recorded as storms swept down the Interstate 20 corridor, first flooding parts of the Shreveport area and then central Louisiana near Monroe days later.
Damage assessment is happening in phases as floodwaters recede. That number is likely to continue to climb as the state sees the full extent of flooding, including damage in parts of St. Tammany that are still dealing with overflowing rivers, Steele said.
In a statement, GOHSEP Director James Waskom said the state has been working the Federal Emergency Management Agency to streamline the disaster assessment process. That process will determine how much federal aid homeowners and state and local government will get.
Officials noted forecasts indicated north Louisiana could be hit with more severe weather Sunday evening. That could complicate recovery efforts.
"Our first goal is to help our local partners through the response phase of this event," Waskom said. "We will begin to transition into the recovery phase as conditions improve."
Posted By: Siebra Muhammad
Sunday, March 13th 2016 at 9:28PM
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