Louisiana Floods Impact 110K Homes

The torrential flooding that has submerged portions of Louisiana has impacted 110,000 homes worth a combined value of $20.7 million.

According to a Washington Post report citing data from the Baton Rouge Area Chamber of Commerce, approximately 280,000 people live in the sections of the state that received the record-level flooding. In addition, more than 7,000 businesses—approximately one in every five businesses in the region, employing more than 73,000 people—were also in the flooded areas.

The figures underscore two of the biggest challenges that families as well as local, state and federal officials face as they work to recover from the unprecedented flooding: How to house those left suddenly homeless, and how to pay for the recovery.

Earlier this week, Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae offered mortgage assistance services to homeowners in the areas affected by flooding. The Department of Housing and Urban Development announced that it would speed federal disaster assistance to Louisiana and provide support to homeowners and low-income renters. President Obama, who received criticism for remaining on vacation in Martha’s Vineyard this week instead of visiting the region, announced today that he would go to Louisiana on Tuesday—but only after Donald Trump and his running mate, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, toured the flood-devastated region today and met with residents who were left homeless by the destructive weather.