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HOUSTON, Aug. 23 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Barack Obama on Tuesday pledged to make sustained national efforts to rebuild flood-ravaged southern Louisiana.
Obama arrived in the Louisiana capital city of Baton Rouge for a visit aimed in part at stemming campaign-season criticism that he has been slow to respond to the flooding, the worst natural disaster in the country since Hurricane Sandy in 2012.
Thirteen people were killed, with over 60,000 homes damaged and tens of thousands displaced in southern Louisiana.
As he toured a battered neighborhood in Zachary about 26 km north of Baton Rouge, Obama tried to buck up beleaguered residents of the water-soaked region, according to the state's daily newspaper the Times-Picayune.
"The whole country is going to support you and help you until we get folks back in their homes, and lives are rebuilt," Obama said at a press conference in Zachary.
"Sometimes once the flood waters pass, people's attention spans pass -- this is not a one-off, this is not a photo-op issue. This is, how do you make sure a month from now, three months, six months from now, people are still getting the help they need?"
"Sometimes when these kinds of things happen, it can seem like too much to bear. But what I want the people of Louisiana to know is you are not alone, even after the TV cameras leave," he said, adding "I know how resilient the people of Louisiana are and I know that you will rebuild again."
Obama said that Americans are heartbroken by the loss of life and said that the floods have cost survivors more than property.
On Aug. 14, Obama declared a major disaster for Louisiana, making federal resources available to help with home repairs, temporary housing, low-cost recovery loans for uninsured property losses and other programs to assist individuals and business owners recover. Individuals can reportedly apply for assistance that could be fully covered by the federal government, up to 33,000 U.S. dollars per person.
The White House has said that 127 million dollars in federal aid has been designated for temporary rental assistance, essential home repairs, and flood insurance payments in the state.
More than 115,000 people have registered for federal disaster aid, while some 20 million dollars has been distributed to individuals so far, the state government said.
At least 40 state highways still remained closed.
Obama has been criticized for waiting until after he returned from his New England vacation to tour the Gulf Coast flooding.
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump visited Baton Rouge on Friday, saying that Obama should have gone to the flooded Louisiana state days ago, instead of golfing.
Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton also said on Monday that she plans a trip to the state at an unspecified time.
