The Latest: Lady Gaga donating to Louisiana flood relief

ALBANY, La. (AP) — The Latest on flooding in the Deep South (all times local):

10 a.m.

Lady Gaga says she's pitching in to help with flood relief efforts in Louisiana.

The entertainer tweeted early Wednesday morning that she and her family are donating to relief efforts. She says she gives "thoughts and prayers to all of our loved ones in Louisiana suffering through the flood." Gaga didn't say how much she is donating or if she plans on giving in other ways. Her representatives didn't immediately return a request for comment.

The announcement comes a day after Taylor Swift told The Associated Press she is donating $1 million to the relief effort.

At least 40,000 homes have been damaged and 11 people have been killed in the floods.

9:55 a.m.

Flood waters have receded in Louisiana's Livingston Parish, but they've left behind an atmosphere of determination to recover mixed with disbelief and uncertainty.

In conversations, residents and business owners in the town of Albany repeatedly note that the area had never flooded before — and flood insurance wasn't required.

Chris Bankston was with workers mucking out his family-owned auto parts store Wednesday. He says his father opened the business close to 70 years ago. He says water had never gotten within 200 yards of his business, until the weekend. By Sunday, the gasoline pumps out front were covered with water.

Officials in Livingston Parish have estimated that 75 percent of the homes were a total loss. About 138,000 people live in the parish.

6:25 a.m.

Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards has taken a step to make sure widespread flooding in Louisiana doesn't cause problems in pending legal proceedings.

State Supreme Court Chief Justice Bernette Johnson said in a Tuesday news release that Edwards has issued an executive order imposing an emergency suspension of all deadlines for legal proceedings in state courts, administrative agencies and boards.

The order is effective retroactively to last Friday and lasts until Sept. 9.

5:45 a.m.

The Red Cross says more than 1,000 disaster volunteers have been mobilized from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico to help with the Louisiana flood relief efforts.

Brad Kieserman, vice president, Disaster Services Operations and Logistics for the Red Cross, said in a news release the massive relief operation will cost at least $30 million.

Kieserman says the flooding in Louisiana is the worst natural disaster to strike the United States since Superstorm Sandy.

He said the Red Cross is also seeking additional volunteers to assist in Louisiana.

2 a.m.

The heartbreaking task of sorting through waterlogged belongings and ripping out carpets and drywall is kicking into high gear in flood-wracked southern Louisiana.

Residents will continue going back to their homes Wednesday, assessing damage and getting to work on repairs, in areas where the waters have receded enough.

Downstream many are eyeing swollen rivers to see whether more damage is coming.

Hundreds of people evacuated to a shelter in Ascension Parish as the river water that hit areas around Baton Rouge worked its way south.

The state also faces a long-term challenge of how to house the thousands of displaced people and how to pay for the damage the water left behind.