Coffins Float Down Street As ‘Unprecedented’ Floods Hit Louisiana

The grim sight of coffins floating through the streets has been captured after “unprecedented” flooding hit Louisiana.

At least four people have died after 17 inches of rain fell on the American state in just 24 hours.

At the time of writing, more than 20,000 people had been rescued.

One witness compared the floods to Hurricane Katrina, the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history, which devastated the state in 2005.

Anna Johnson of Denham Springs, near state capital Baton Rouge, who captured the image, said: “We have never seen anything like this.

“It’s worse than Hurricane Katrina. My husband is on rescue missions right now. He has a boat and he’s helping the local sheriffs department.”

More than 5,000 people spent Saturday night in Red Cross shelters, and more than 200 roads are closed.

State Governor John Bel Edwards said that the federal government had declared a major disaster for the state of Louisiana.

"I have travelled to affected areas and have seen the destruction caused by this unprecedented flooding,” he said.

"This is an ongoing event, and we are confident that every available state and federal resource will be brought to bear.”

About 1,700 National Guard troops are believed to have been deployed.

Flash flood warnings are in place in both Louisiana and Mississippi, and it is believed the heaviest rain may be yet to come.

The Red Cross said that the relief effort could be the largest since Superstorm Sandy.

(Credit: Caters)