Breach blamed for lower T’bonne flooding

Severe flooding in southern Terrebonne Parish occured in the wake of a nearly eight-foot storm surge brought on by Hurricane Ike beginning Friday. Parish officials likened the situation to the flooding following Hurricane Rita in 2005.

Breaches occurred Friday at levees in or near Pointe aux Chenes, Chauvin and Dularge. Much of the flooding was caused by overtopping of levees in several places. A mandatory evacuation was called for most of the southern end of the parish.

“The situation deteriorated throughout the day,” said Parish President Michel Claudet.

The flooding began in the eastern part of the parish and moved west, said Al Levron with the parish’s Public Works Department.

The Clinton Street pump station in southern Chauvin collapsed, allowing water to flow into Ward 7. A 2,000 gallon fuel tank next to the pump station tilted, resulting in a small amount of fuel being spilled.

Officials urged residents to leave Ward 7 while sandbags were used to plug the breach.

Water overtopped a recently upgraded levee near Montegut, flooding parts of the town.

“The town of Montegut is pretty much under control, but there is water in the streets,” Levron said.

Still, by Friday, Claudet said the parish could not guarantee the structural integrity of the levees. Sheriff Vernon Bourgeois pointed to the absence of hurricane protection levees.

Major Bill Dodd with the Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office estimated that 243 homes in southern Terrebonne had received floodwater by Friday night. The sheriff’s office, Houma Police, the Louisiana National Guard and the state Department of Wildlife and Fisheries launched coordinated rescue efforts.

The National Guard deployed three helicopters; Wildlife and Fisheries brought in 13 boats.

In total, the National Guard stationed 318 guardsmen in the Tri-parishes: 150 in Terrebonne, 128 in Lafourche and 40 in St. Mary, according to state figures.

On Saturday morning, Claudet called the flooding in south Terrebonne “massive.” Levron said, “Our worst fears have been realized. Southern Terrebonne is inundated.”

Water entered the parish from the Houma Navigation Canal and the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway. Some of the flooding reached as far north as East Houma. Portions of Van Avenue received a foot of water.

Levron said parish officials were considering deliberately breaching levees in some sections to allow water to flow out. Twenty portable pumps were ordered from the state.

Around 480 residents were placed in shelters. South Terrebonne High School was used as a holding area for people rescued by boat. More than 100 people were rescued by state and local agents on Saturday. In all, approximately 15,000 structures, including homes and businesses, were flooded.

By Sunday morning, floodwaters were receding, but water still rose in north Dularge, requiring the evacuation of some residents. Water also flowed from the Intracoastal Waterway into Bayou Black in Gibson, though that area of water began receding by late Sunday morning.

On Monday morning, some search and rescue efforts were ongoing, but would conclude by the end of the day as floodwaters continued to recede. Forty pumps were being used through south Terrebonne.

Shelters at Gibson Gym, Schriever Recreation Center and Dumas Auditorium housed 331 people on Monday, while Houma Junior High School was a staging area for evacuees.

Around 7,000 Entergy customers, mostly in flooded areas, were without electrical power.

Roadblocks meant to keep residents out of lower Terrebonne were being pushed further south because of water levels dropping. Except for the flooded areas of Terrebonne, the parish curfew and ban on alcohol sales were removed Monday.

“Between Katrina and Rita we had three weeks,” Claudet said. “With this, we had 11 days.”

He added, “We’ll be a better Terrebonne after this is completed.”

Ashland North subdivision residents load water and lunches from the American Red Cross onto John Foret’s (background, next to the motor) boat to take to residents surrounded by two to three feet of floodwater. * Photo by KEYON K. JEFF