Caldwell Parish faces flooding in early 2016

BY JONI TAYLOROn March 8, heavy rains started in Louisiana affecting most of the Northeastern part of the state. Although Caldwell Parish had flooding in areas they seemed to have fared much better than Bossier, Union and Ouachita Parishes. Unfortunately, rivers in the area are cresting and the spillway on Bayou Lafourche started spilling over Sunday night. Hebert was issued a mandatory evacuation with flooding imminent. Some officials say the water may rise quicker than anticipated and they could be under water before noon on Monday. Sheriff Steve May said “There may be a few high points that won’t go under but Hebert will be under water”. He said that the National Guard was there to help people get out, move furniture, whatever they needed. It is estimated that 1500 people will be affected in Hebert.The people of Caldwell Parish have rallied to help those in need. They have helped sandbag property, move furniture and families, donate food, clothing and other items. Some families only had minutes to leave when the waters started rising and covering roads. There are 26 people staying at the Caldwell Parish Community Center, the official Red Cross Shelter for the parish. Beckie Ledbetter Crain, Red Cross Shelter Manager along with Denita Temple, Red Cross Shelter Manager and Recreation Director Sherie Salisbury, have been working around the clock to take care of their needs. Crain said “People have been bringing food and we are good through Tuesday. People can call the center at 649-2326 and schedule to bring food and other needed items on different days.” They do not have storage for food so they don’t need to receive it all at one time. She said they can use toiletries and other items but they do not need clothing. Two local churches, Outreach Church on Hwy 4 West and Life Church on Hwy 4 East, are offering their buildings as shelter to those displaced. Others have offered to harbor livestock and other animals affected by the flooding. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced that federal disaster assistance has been made available to the State of Louisiana to supplement state, tribal and local recovery efforts in the area affected by severe storms and flooding beginning on March 8, 2016, and continuing.The President's action makes federal funding available to affected individuals in Bossier, Claiborne, Grant, Morehouse, Ouachita, Richland, and Webster parishes. Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster. Although Caldwell Parish is not listed by FEMA that could change with the rising waters. Congressman Ralph Abraham said “Those who live in parishes not listed in the initial declaration should continue to report their damages to their local governments, and local officials should compile that information and forward it to the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness.”Dale Powell, Director of Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, and many others have been working around the clock, forgoing sleep to try and stay one step ahead of the flooding. Powell said “I am confident that Caldwell Parish will receive a presidential declaration and be eligible for FEMA assistance. The parish and the state have already made a declaration for Caldwell Parish.” He also said that Police Jury President Ben Clark and Vice President Aubrey Bratton are in Monroe today, Monday, taking training on assessing damage to property. When the water recedes they will be part of a team that will access each property individually and rate it for FEMA declarations and for state benefits. For those that don’t have insurance FEMA will help restore their properties. For those that have insurance FEMA will help with cost not covered by their insurance. Pictured is a home located in Hebert, LA surrounded by flood waters from Bouef River. Waters are expected to continue rising over the next few days.
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