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Residents survey flood damage in Lafitte, La., on Thursday, Aug. 30, 2012, a day after Hurricane Isaac hit the area near New Orleans. (AP Photo/Erik Schelzig)

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Isaac damaged 13,000 Louisiana homes

First official damage estimates from the storm

Updated: Tuesday, 04 Sep 2012, 12:41 PM CDT
Published : Tuesday, 04 Sep 2012, 12:33 PM CDT

MELINDA DESLATTE,Associated Press

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — State emergency officials say at least 13,000 homes in Louisiana were damaged by Hurricane Isaac.

The numbers are the first official damage estimates from the storm, which struck a week ago.

Christina Stephens, spokeswoman for the Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, says the figures are "very preliminary," based on an initial assessment of communities with flooding and wind damage.

She says in some areas, flooding still limits where damage assessment teams can go. She says the numbers of damaged homes could rise after FEMA finishes its house-by-house inspections in the nine hardest-hit parishes.

Meanwhile, the widespread power outages caused by Isaac have nearly all been repaired. The Public Service Commission says nearly 38,000 homes and businesses remained without electricity Tuesday, about 2 percent of customers.