Catastrophic flooding has swallowed swaths of Louisiana in a deluge that the governor calls “unprecedented.” But the breadth of the destruction can be hard to imagine.
Here’s what the calamity looks like, by the numbers:
40,000: Homes damaged
More than 40,000 homes have at least some kind of damage from the flooding, Gov. John Bel Edwards said Tuesday. He asked for volunteers to help clean out mud from homes.
“Not everyone can do this on their own,” the governor said. He said anyone interested in helping can visit VolunteerLouisiana.gov.
6,900,000,000,000: Gallons of rainfall in one week
About 6.9 trillion gallons of rain pummeled Louisiana between August 8 and 14, according to meteorologist Ryan Maue.
That’s enough to fill more than 10.4 million Olympic-size swimming pools.
9: Deaths in three parishes
Parishes in eastern Louisiana reported nine deaths from the flooding: Five in East Baton Rouge Parish, two in St. Helena Parish and two in Tangipahoa Parish.
20,000: People rescued
Members of the Coast Guard and National Guard, along with emergency responders and regular civilians, helped take more than 20,000 residents to safety, officials said.
Gov. Edwards said 1,000 pets have also been rescued.
12: Parishes declared as disaster areas
President Barack Obama has granted Edwards’ request for an emergency declaration in 12 parishes, the governor said Tuesday.
Edwards said he expects that number to rise, as he has requested emergency declaration in more than a dozen other parishes.
