Eight People Killed, Over 20,000 Rescued in Louisiana Floods

More than 20,000 people have been rescued but eight have been confirmed dead amid severe flooding in the US state of Louisiana.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – The number of confirmed deaths due to severe flooding in the US state of Louisiana has increased to eight, and tens of thousands of people have been rescued, Governor John Bel Edwards said at a press conference on Tuesday.

"I am sad to announce that we have eight confirmed fatalities that were storm-related," Edwards told reporters. "We have rescued over 20,000 people across Louisiana."

Edwards noted that 8,098 people have been sheltered since the start of emergency operations, but the number of people in shelters is changing rapidly as some are able to move back to their homes.

Additionally, more than 40,000 homes have been affected by the floods since Edwards declared a state of emergency on Friday, he said.

Data on the number of missing persons is unavailable because of current difficulties in communication among people separated from their families, the governor added.

On Monday, President Barack Obama issued a disaster declaration for four Louisiana counties after Governor Edwards declared state of emergency effective until September 10.