Secretary of Health Dr. Karen Murphy Wednesday expressed her sympathies for those affected by the historic flooding in Louisiana and asked Pennsylvanians to consider donating to help the victims of that state’s worst natural disaster in recent years.

“Hundreds of thousands of people have been affected by this tragedy and many are in critical need of basic supplies such as food, medicine, and shelter,” said Secretary Murphy. “This historic flooding has completely devastated some residents of Louisiana, leaving them extremely vulnerable and in desperate need of our help. I am encouraging all Pennsylvanians to support and help those residents of Louisiana who have lost so much.”

Last week’s storm dumped up to two feet of rain on the hardest hit areas of Louisiana.

According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, more than 110,000 individuals and households have registered for assistance. Since the flooding began last week, more than 45,000 overnight stays in shelters and nearly 300,000 meals and snacks have been provided to flood survivors.

In addition, more than 30,000 Louisiana residents had to be saved from the flooding by organizations such as the U.S. Coast Guard, the National Guard, and local emergency responders. Thousands of animals have also been rescued.

If you would like to donate to the victims of the Louisiana flooding, please visit Louisiana Flood Relief — Baton Rouge Area Foundation.

To learn important safety tips about preparing and responding to flooding in Pennsylvania, visit www.readypa.org.

8/29/2016