Some shelters are inaccessible from Baton Rouge and relief workers comes in from New Orleans. Catholic Charities is now aiding parishes that need toiletries, food, and even coffee. Case managers and mental health professionals are going to the shelters, which are "full to the brim."
Cash, though, is the most useful asset in such a situation – and for Catholic Charities' long-term relief work.
"In the weeks and days immediately after a disaster, there's a tremendous rush of good will and high energy and compassion. And that is desperately needed," Aguillard explained. "That is very valuable. But the fact is, there are people who might take years to recover."
"Their workplaces might close down. They might be one or two paychecks away from losing their house or their lease. That's where we come in. We're here for the long term to help with that recovery process that can take two to five years, sometimes longer."
There are still some people have yet to recover from Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
"Not everybody has a savings account. Not everybody has family with resources to help. That's what we're here for," said Aguillard.
"We go out and we do the work immediately when it is needed. We just pray and we trust and have faith that the resources are going to come. And we've never been let down," he said.
"The generosity of people around the country is just overwhelming. It's phenomenal. It's very touching when we start getting donations from the state of Washington or Alaska, not only from within our diocese."
Baton Rouge Catholic Charities is asking for donations to help flood relief work through its website, www.ccdiobr.org.
Kevin J. Jones is a senior staff writer with Catholic News Agency. He was a recipient of a 2014 Catholic Relief Services' Egan Journalism Fellowship.