5 dead, thousands flee as historic floods swamp South

 United States

Marcie Traylor rides in a boat after being rescued from the Pecan Valley Mobile Home community that was flooded because of Wednesday rains. Bossier Firefighter Cameron LaCoure was out helping as well as neighbors who volunteered their boats for rescues. Photo: Henrietta Wildsmith/The Times

Flash flood watches and warnings stretched from Lake Charles, La., to Evansville, Ind., as of late afternoon Thursday. More than 80 river gauges in the region reported flooding Thursday. The flood threat will last across the region even after the rain stops, as water seeps into the ground and works its way into progressively larger rivers, AccuWeather reported.