They gathered up their dogs and a few bags of belongings and fled out the back door, eventually wading through waist-deep water to a passing National Guard truck — joining the more than 20,000 people rescued from their homes in a still-growing tragedy across southern Louisiana. Now safe at a movie studio-lot-turned-shelter their worries weren't over, as they tried to get medication for Robert, who suffers from lung cancer. "We need to get somewhere safer," Gwen said, as her dogs panted heavily under the hot sun. Across southern Louisiana Sunday, residents scrambled to get to safety as rivers and creeks burst their banks, swollen from days of heavy rain that in some areas came close to two feet over a 48-hour period.
In high-water vehicles, boats and helicopters, emergency crews hurried to rescue scores of south Louisiana residents as the governor warned that it was not over. More than 10,000 people are in shelters and the Baton Rouge River Center — usually reserved for major events — was sheltering evacuees. From the air homes in southwest Louisiana looked more like little islands surrounded by flooded fields. Farmland was covered, streets descended into impassable pools of water, shopping centers were inundated with only roofs of cars peeking above the water. From the ground it was just as catastrophic. Drivers tried to navigate treacherous roads where the water lapped at the side or covered the asphalt in a running stream. Abandoned cars were pushed to the side of the road, lawn furniture and children's toys floating through the waters.
The low pressure system that wreaked such havoc moved into Texas, but the National Weather Service warned that there's still danger of fresh floods, as swollen rivers drain toward the Gulf of Mexico. Most of the rivers have crested, but several are still rising. The federal government declared a major disaster in the state, specifically in the parishes of Tangipahoa, St. Helena, East Baton Rouge and Livingston. Edwards said President Barack Obama called him and said that "the people of south Louisiana are in his thoughts and prayers and the federal government will be a solid partner." Edwards called on people to refrain from going out to "sightsee" even as the weather gets better.
Four people have been reported dead, said Devin George, the state registrar for vital records, earlier Sunday. Later Sunday, a woman's body was recovered by divers from inside a flooded vehicle in East Baton Rouge Parish, appearing to raise the death toll to five. Witnesses said the woman was seen Saturday night attempting to turn around in high water when her vehicle was swept away, said Casey Rayborn Hicks, a spokeswoman for the sheriff's office.
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