BATON ROUGE - Gov. John Bel Edwards says the severe storms that battered Louisiana are a "record-breaking flood event" that inundated places that have never flooded before.

Edwards thanked the Federal Emergency Management Agency on Thursday for promptly acting on the state's requests to expand the number of parishes covered by a federal disaster declaration. Edwards and FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate met in Baton Rouge for a briefing on the flooding.

Mike Steele, a spokesman for the Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, says roughly 21,000 people were evacuated and between 11,000 and 12,000 homes have been damaged in Louisiana. Steele said an additional 1,200 private buildings and 13 public buildings also have been damaged.

Steele said roughly 200 people remained in shelters as of Thursday.

Residents seeking to make a claim to FEMA can call 1-800-621-FEMA or by going online to the disaster assistance website.