Water’s Coming To St. Landry
BOBBY ARDOIN
St. Landry Now.com Editor
St. Landry Parish residents living above La. 10 are being encouraged by parish officials to consider leaving their homes now due to expected flood waters moving down from Avoyelles Parish.
Parish president Jessie Bellard said in his daily social media post on Sunday morning that he doesn’t plan to issue any mandatory evacuation orders at this point.
Bellard said that residents living along bayous in northern St. Landry and along Bayou Courtableau in the Port Barre area, should become aware of situation regarding water threatening their homes.
The current parish policy regarding evacuations, said Bellard, is allowing individuals the freedom to make their own decisions about whether they want to leave.
What parish crews are doing however, Bellard said, is canvassing the parish and placing orange tags with contact numbers and other information on doors for persons to be aware of assistance options due to water.
What’s Unexpected
Bellard said parish officials are surprised by the quickness of rising water levels in the Port Barre area.
“It’s coming up earlier than expected and the water from Avoyelles hasn’t crossed La. 10 yet. That water is just getting to us now,” said Bellard.
Bellard said the flood situation in St. Landry might be increased, since St. Martin Parish received six inches of rain early Sunday morning.
That means that water that normally moves down from Avoyelles and St. Landry into St. Martin Parish will leave St. Landry much slower, Bellard said.
Bellard said the situation which now involves water concentration in St. Martin could indicate that camps in the Port Barre area from U.S. 190 north along Courtableau could experience more water sooner than anticipated.
“What we think will happen is the water from St. Martin, due to the six inches from Sunday, will start backing up northward with the water coming down in the north (from Avoyelles),” Bellard added.
New Maps
Bellard said the U.S. Corps of Engineers is expected to issue a new flood map for Avoyelles and St. Landry sometime on Monday.
The map will more clearly define which parish areas are currently flooded, Bellard said.
Until then Bellard said it will be necessary to find ways to ascertain the amount of water in areas of St. Landry.
In Port Barre
Port Barre town officials again put up a social media message for those living in structures along Courtableau to consider preparing to leave that area.
“Areas immediately adjacent to Courtableau will be affected,” the media post said on Sunday.
Town officials specifically identified East and West Courtableau roads, Bayou Drive and Rayne Road as areas that are expected to be most vulnerable and where residents there might want to consider leaving.
The post added that individuals seeking to evacuate should remember to secure valuables and take care of their pets.
It’s unsure at this time how much Port Barre residents living in the town and away from the bayou will be impacted by rising water, said the post..
