What it's like on the ground in Louisiana, where a historic flood hit 40,000 homes and left a trail of destruction

Historic floods washed through southern Louisiana over the past week, and even though the skies over affected parts of the state have at least partially cleared, swollen rivers continue to inundate communities and homes.

In places where the water has started to recede, the extent of the destruction is now being revealed.

Rainfall was so heavy in parts of the state that it could qualify "as a 1-in-1,000 year rainfall event," according to Dr. Jeff Masters, the director of meteorology for Weather Underground.

The storm left thousands of people without homes, and it'll be some time before it's possible to fully assess the damage. Thirteen people have died, the governor said, and 30,000 have been rescued.

Here's what the scene on the ground looks like: