New Orleans, August 19 (RHC)-- In the United States, the American Red Cross is calling this week's flooding in Louisiana the worst disaster in the U.S. since Hurricane Sandy in 2012.  At least 13 people were killed after historic rainfall submerged parts of Baton Rouge and the surrounding area.

Louisiana state officials say the destruction may result in the worst housing crisis in the region since Hurricane Katrina eleven years ago.  The U.S. federal government has declared the area a disaster zone, and state officials say more than 5,000 people remain in emergency shelters.

The Louisiana Governor's Office has said at least 40,000 homes have been damaged or destroyed. In Livingston Parish, home to about 138,000 people, it is estimated 75 percent of the homes have been lost.