NEW ORLEANS - With the Gov. Edwards declaring a state of emergency earlier in the day, the Louisiana National Guard has mobilized personnel and equipment to aid residents seeing flash flooding.

Guardsmen will be dispatched to Iberia, Lafayette, St. Helena, Tangipahoa and West Feliciana parishes.

39 high-water vehicles and five boat teams are currently en route to the affected parishes to carry out search and rescue operations. More than 40 people have already been rescued in Tangipahoa and another 17 in St. Helena.

About 30,000 sandbags have been issued to Ascension Parish from Camp Villere.

More boat teams are on standby to conduct search and rescue operations elsewhere should they be required.