By Ayesha Rascoe
ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE (Reuters) - President Barack Obama flew to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on Tuesday to visit a flood-ravaged neighborhood and meet with state officials to discuss how the federal government can best help the state recover.
The deluge that dumped more than 2-1/2 feet (76 cm) of rain on parts of Louisiana has been described as the worst U.S. disaster since Superstorm Sandy in 2012. The floods have killed at least 13 people and damaged more than 60,000 homes.
On social media, some Louisiana residents and others last week urged Obama to visit. Baton Rouge's newspaper, The Advocate, voiced a similar view.
Some criticized Obama for not cutting short his two-week vacation on Martha's Vineyard in New England to go to Louisiana. Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, who toured the state on Friday, said the Democratic president should have visited earlier.
On Tuesday, Trump tweeted, "President Obama should have gone to Louisiana days ago, instead of golfing. Too little, too late!"
But Democratic Governor John Bel Edwards had asked Obama to wait a few weeks before visiting. Presidential visits require a huge retinue of Secret Service agents and tie up local and state law enforcement officials who may be needed elsewhere in the aftermath of disasters. Edwards had also asked Trump not to visit the state for a photo opportunity.
"I think the president is used to people trying to score political points even in situations where they shouldn't," White House spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters traveling with Obama.
Earnest said more than $120 million in federal assistance has been approved so far to help residents pay for hotel rooms, buy groceries, and do urgent home repairs.
Local officials have been pleased with the early response, but Obama plans to discuss how to look after longer-term needs, and what the private sector can do to help, Earnest said.
Obama received updates on the flooding during his vacation from U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Craig Fugate, who had both visited the state.
U.S. Representative Garret Graves, a Republican whose district in Louisiana includes much of the flooded area, said Trump's visit had helped put the national spotlight on a disaster that had not received enough attention.
"I don't think that people in Washington can really understand what is going on down here and really help us tailor a recovery package without seeing it firsthand," he told National Public Radio.
Louisiana Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser, a Republican, dismissed the debate over whether Obama should have come before Trump, saying he looked forward to meeting with the president and praising the response so far by FEMA.
"I'm just glad he's here," Nungesser told MSNBC in an interview as Obama departed for the flood zone.
"Hopefully he'll bring hope and help for Louisiana residents who are struggling," Nungesser said, noting that officials needed to focus on helping residents get back to their homes.
"It's going to be a long haul," he said. "We're going to need a lot of help, a lot of prayers, and a lot of work to get back."
(Additional reporting by Susan Heavey, Roberta Rampton, and Dustin Volz in Washington; Editing by Peter Cooney and Jonathan Oatis)