Rising Red River swallows dozens of Louisiana homes
Floodwaters from Oklahoma and Texas forced the Red River in Louisiana to swell, and the water level reached a point not seen in decades.
According to CBS station KSLA's Adria Goins, the waters crested at more than 38 feet in 1945. Today, the river peaks at 37 feet, seven feet above the flooding stage. Twenty-four-hour sandbag stations have been set up and officials are urging people to pick them up day or night to protect their homes from the rising water.
The flooding is swallowing dozens of houses, turning them into islands and submerging them up to their roofs.
Louisiana's National Guard worked late into the night filling sandbags, the white satchels serving as a line of defense against the overflowing river.
For Caddo Parish Sheriff Steve Prator, the devastation is personal.
"The glass is beginning to break from the pressure of the water," Prator said.
He's trying to save his home from the two feet of water that's already crept in, surrounding and destroying his family's belongings.
"It's devastating," he said.
On Sunday, a man and his dog were evacuated by boat and Black Hawk helicopters were used to deliver a pair of water pumps to a water treatment plant that's been isolated by the flooding.
Lt. Terrell Hamilton cannot believe just how high the river is.
"Wow. One word, wow," Hamilton said.
The waters are supposed to stay at the 37-foot mark for the next few days and aren't expected to dip below the flooding stage until the end of the month. Making things more difficult, there is rain on the forecast for later this week.