Four dead, 20,000 rescued from Louisiana flooding

MONROE, La. — Rescue efforts intensified Sunday as historic rain that paralyzed much of southeastern Louisiana eased, while floodwaters continued to bring havoc to the battered region.

State Police helicopters delivered food and water to hundreds of motorists stuck for more than 24 hours in flooding near Baton Rouge.

Gov. John Bel Edwards said late Sunday that more than 10,000 people were in shelters and more than 20,000 people were rescued across south Louisiana. The Baton Rouge River Center, a major events location in the capital city’s downtown, was to be opened Sunday as a shelter to handle the large numbers of evacuees.

Four people have been reported dead, said Devin George, the state registrar for vital records. The death toll rose Sunday when a man’s body was found washed up on a riverbank in Tangipahoa Parish.

Parts of the area have been blasted by up to 25 inches of rain since Friday. The weather improved Sunday, but Edwards warned that flooding issues will continue for days.