Harlan Kirgan
Eunice officials estimated from 15 to 18 inches rain fell from April 30 through Wednesday flooding streets and low-lying areas.
The worst of the weather occurred Sunday, but severe storms returned Wednesday morning to renew the threat of flooding.
Floodwaters threatened Faith Christian Worship Center on Stanford Road, but the church was spared.
Heather Ardoin, senior pastor, said the water backed up from Bayou Des Cannes lapped at the sandbags along the church, but stopped there.
“It did not enter the building,” she said. “It got right up to it, but thankfully the 500 or so sandbags we filled that day stopped it from going any farther. We are very thankful.”
In August the church was flooded as was much of the property in the area around the Eunice City Lake in northwest Eunice.
There were reports of hundreds of people in the area left without power in the siege of storm weather.
Perhaps the worst report of damage was to Plaisance Elementary, which is in the midst of a $1.7 million restoration project after being flooded in August 2016.
Phillipe Prouet, of Poche’ Prouet Associates, reported that at about 3 a.m. April 30 a tornado hit the campus causing at least $125,000 in damage.
The St. Landry Parish School Board’s wind insurance deductible is $25,000.
Prouet told the School Board on Thursday the twister damage included roofs, canopies and fencing.
Parish President Bill Fontenot, in a report to Parish Council committees Wednesday, said, “Most of the flooding has taken place in Eunice, but the rest of the parish is sandbag ready for whatever good sandbags can do.”
South St. Landry Parish was also hit hard with some roads covered by downed trees, he said.
It was the worst weather since the August 2016 floods that paralyzed South Louisiana.
On Thursday, Eunice Mayor Scott Fontenot and the Board of Aldermen discussed the week’s flooding at a meeting to set the agenda for Tuesday’s board meeting.
The mayor said, “If Acadia Parish doesn’t do their part cleaning out their canals ... is there anything the city can do as far as legal action against Acadia Parish if it would get to that point.”
He added, “It might be costly, but what else can we do?”
Alderman Dale Soileau said he would like the city engineer, Karl Aucoin, to determine how much it would cost to clean all of the drainage, but he also noted a need to meet with drainage officials outside the city.
Fontenot said he met with an Acadia Parish drainage official to show how the canal along west of La. 13 is relative clear in Eunice, but clogged with trees in Acadia Parish.
The mayor planned to meet with State Rep. Phillip DeVillier Friday afternoon to determine if there is anything the state can do to help Eunice drainage.
Fontenot said state workers on Wednesday cleared debris piling up on the La. 13 bridge south of Maple Avenue.
“I really believe that if we can have Acadia Parish do their part I really think the city would drain faster,” he said.
Alderman Jason Bertrand said much of the problem was the volume of rain from April 30 to Wednesday.