Fish escape river during floods in Louisiana

As record floods wreak havoc in the US south, a university student has filmed the moment a school of carp ventured out from a river and swam across a road.

Atmospheric science student and budding meteorologist Collin Landry couldn't resist the opportunity to view some extreme weather in action, going out in heavy rain on campus at the University of Louisiana in Monroe.

When he did he was awestruck to discover a group of large carp swimming across the asphalt over the flooded road.

"Fish on the sidewalk," he remarks in one of his Twitter videos.

Another student was a little less matter-of-fact in his own video commentary.

"Hey fish, whatcha doing there?" YouTube user darderder der says.

At times the large carp are barely submerged by the water.

The carp had escaped the confines of the Bayou DeSiard, a tributary of the Ouachita River.

The floodwaters are now beginning to recede from the campus.

But as up to 60cm of rain falls in Louisiana and Mississippi over the course of two days, the floods have proven devastating.

The Associated Press has reported that at least three people have died in the dangerous conditions.