Wade Gary views damage in his studio apartment Tuesday after water flooded his home in Abbeville, La.

GONZALES, La. — The heartbreaking task of sorting through waterlogged belongings and ripping out carpets and drywall is kicking into high gear today in flood-wracked southern Louisiana as the state faces a long-term challenge of how to house thousands of displaced people.

But even as the water receded in some areas, it was rising in other places downstream, sending people fleeing to shelters.

Officials painted a stark picture of the crisis: at least 40,000 homes damaged and 11 people killed in some of the worst flooding in Louisiana history. More than 30,000 people have been rescued since Friday.

There were scattered reports of looting, and Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards said parishes with widespread damage were being placed under curfew as of Tuesday night.

The smell of muddy water hung heavy in the air as people donned surgical masks and began the back-breaking job of ripping out soggy carpet, drywall and insulation. They cleared out spiders and cockroaches that had bubbled up through the sewer grates.

By noon Tuesday, more than two dozen volunteers had arrived at Rhonda Brewer’s Baton Rouge home, helping her take water-damaged belongings to the curb. Volunteers worked to remove wooden floor boards, sheet rock and insulation before the mold set in.

“The water was waist deep, so it’s iffy if I can take the sheet rock and insulation half way or have to go to the ceiling,” she said. “If we don’t make it in time, we trash it.”

Officials started going house to house to ensure everyone was accounted for. They also searched countless cars caught in the flooding.

“I don’t know we have a good handle on the number of people who are missing,” the governor said.

About 60,000 people have signed up for assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and 20 parishes were included in the federal disaster declaration.

And help was coming from quarters beyond the federal government.

Performer Taylor Swift told The Associated Press she is donating $1 million to flood relief. She noted the state’s residents graciously welcomed her kickoff of the U.S. dates of her “1989 World Tour” in Louisiana last year.

“The fact that so many people in Louisiana have been forced out of their own homes this week is heartbreaking,” the 26-year-old said in a statement.