Floodwaters Recede In Louisiana

Receding floodwaters left behind mud, mildew and misery in the New Orleans area Thursday, with the damage from days of torrential rain put at more than $3 billion.

“There’s no way to get away from it. You can’t even sit down on something that isn’t wet,” Norman Chapetta said as he sat on his waterlogged couch. “The flood was bad enough. But this is hell.”

Judy Freestone, married six months ago, cried over her wedding pictures and the memory of her wedding gifts floating out the front door of her mobile home.

“I’m still supposed to be living happily ever after,” she said.

On Thursday, President Clinton added 11 parishes to the list of disaster areas, making homeowners and businesses eligible for low-interest loans and grants.

One parish was declared a disaster area earlier.