Aerial imagery of taken during the Great Flood of 2016 (photo courtesy of Jason Burton/Wikimedia Commons)
Ten years ago today, thousands of lives were changed when a slow-moving weather system dumped torrential rain across south Louisiana, causing catastrophic flooding from the Lafayette area to southeast Louisiana.
Denham Springs Mayor Gerard Landry remembers planning a meeting for the morning of August 12th, only to have it cancelled because the water was rising.
“City hall was just inches away from receiving water; they finally had 52 inches of water,” Landry recalled.
More than 25 inches of rain fell in parts of Livingston Parish within hours, sending the Amite River in Denham Springs to a record crest of more than 46 feet. About 30,000 people had to be rescued as rivers across the region overflowed their banks.
Landry says many flood victims were rescued by civilian volunteers, called the Cajun Navy.
“And there were a couple of gentlemen that I still stay in touch with, that are with the Cajun Navy; and these folks are just dynamic human beings, really. To get out there and put their own lives in danger to help other people,” Landry said.
Landry says 78% of homes in Denham Springs had at least 18 inches of water inside, yet only about one in four residents had flood insurance.
“Thank goodness for FEMA, thank goodness for the grants that they were able to supply to some of these folks; the Road Home Project. And there were so many resources that people could tap into; but it’s never enough,” Landry noted.
The storm was later known as the Great Flood of 2016. In its aftermath, billions of dollars in federal aid were sent to south Louisiana to rebuild homes and businesses, elevate houses and improve flood-control systems.
At least 13 people died as a result of the flooding.
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