Greg Hilburn

USA TODAY Network

Gov. John Bel Edwards said all motorists stranded on Interstate 12 had been rescued by 9 p.m. Sunday night, although many vehicles remain abandoned on the highway.

Louisiana State Police helicopters arrived along Interstate 12 late Sunday morning to provide water and other supplies for more than 1,500 motorists who have been stranded for almost 24 hours.

Edwards and State Police Superintendent Mike Edmonson said high water vehicles attempted to reach the stretch of interstate leading to Covington on Saturday, but the water was too deep to reach the motorists. Boats couldn't reach them, either, because there are pockets of dry land, creating islands.

Louisiana State Police worked their way from the outer most points toward the middle of the stranded motorists.

Dominique Dugas of Lafayette, who celebrated her 29th birthday Sunday, and her family are among those stranded.

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"There are cars and trucks as far as the eye can see," Dugas said in a phone interview with USA Today Network of Louisiana. She and her family were on their way to a funeral in Slidell when they became stranded at 11:30 a.m. Saturday.

Dugas said her family and others, who are stranded near Albany, walked about three miles to a convenience store for supplies, but those shelves were emptied by Saturday evening. She said her father ran out of his heart medicine.

"We're among the lucky ones," Dugas said. "There is a mother who is nursing and some older people who are really struggling. It's breaking my heart to see everyone suffering."

Dugas said a driver of an 18-wheeler carrying produce opened his truck and made fruit available to all. "There are a lot of good Samaritans out here," she said.

Dugas and her family finally abandoned their car before noon after walking about two miles to a convenience store, where they and others were picked up by a school bus and carried to a shelter in Slidell.

"We saw the helicopters landing just as we got on the bus," she said. "We have family in Slidell, so we thought it was the best thing to do after someone said it could be a week before traffic was back to normal."

Dugas said despite the ordeal, she was thankful.

"It wasn't as bad a birthday as you might think," she said. "I had my family and we were able to help some people."

State Police Superintendent Mike Edmonson said troopers were rescuing those with medical conditions first, something Dugas confirmed. "We saw a couple of people who were ill taken away," she said.

"We have to address life and death situations first before quality of life," Edmonson said Sunday morning.

Greg Hilburn covers state politics for the USA TODAY Network of Louisiana. Follow him on Twitter @GregHilburn1