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Rapides Parish families without electric and water

Posted at 11:09 PM, Sep 02, 2020
and last updated 2020-09-03 00:22:51-04

GLENMORA — In Rapides parish, 1,400 people remain without power, and in many cases they don't have running water either.

"If you want to flush your commode you have to use a five gallon bucket to do that" Kelly Cloud said as he poured water down his toliet,"That's how we flush it."

Cloud has been without electricity since Hurricane Laura hit last week.

"Beauregard electric, our electric is all down, all torn to pieces" Cloud said.

Since Cloud lives outside of Glenmora city limits, he and his neighbors have to live off of well water.

"You can make it without electricity, but you have to have water" Dale cloud said, she lives nearby, "we got jugs, thats what we go get water with, this is my bath water heating up" Dale said pointing to gallons of water.

Cloud he has seen their neighbors go out to their swimming pools or even the nearby river to take a bath.

"You use bottled water to brush your teeth in the morning, because thats all you got, you make do" Dale explained.

Rapides parish was added to the diaster declaration on Tuesday. The National Gaurd has been in the area handing out water, MRE, and other items but Cloud says it isn't enough.

"We need the help out here, we appreciate help we are getting, but we need the (city) water systems" Cloud said.

"Were fine, we've got friends, we've got family, we just ask for city water" Dale said they have been asking to get 'city water' for more than 20 years, but so far, remain using a well.

They expect to be without power and water for the next four to six weeks. Cloud says he will continue living off his generator which cost $28 a day.