NEW IBERIA, La. (KATC) — Neighbors living on Vicnaire Street in New Iberia now are dealing with flood damage in their homes following Thursday's storm. The reason why? They say, bad drivers.
"It's chaos, it's disaster," Jami Hebert, a lifelong New Iberia resident and homeowner on the street tells KATC. "Every bedroom, every square inch of floor, and about three to four inches up to the sheet rock."
While neighbors like Hebert say it's common to see flooding during severe weather, the consensus from several we spoke with is that it has never happened quite like this, seeping into homes. They say it's caused from spectators driving through the high waters, causing wakes to form.
"These kids have no respect, people in general have no respect," Tavonga Roy, who lives around the corner from the Heberts, tells us. "We're asking them to turn around, they're just throwing waves of water, my husband standing there, asking them to turn around and they still just passing."
Flood waters on the street Thursday ranged from mid-calf to knee deep before draining hours later. While covering this story, KATC saw one car stalled out on the street while neighbors attempted to use their own trucks to block incoming traffic and protect their property.
"We've got a tight-knit community," Hebert says. "It's sad it has to come to this point, but it doesn't stop there. I have friends, family, neighbors calling me saying they have a spot for me, my family, our dogs. It's a good feeling in all of this mess."
As they work to pick up the pieces, sweep water out of their homes, and attempt to save what's most important to them, the families are unsure how long it will take to get back to a sense of normalcy. What they do know — they want the wakes to come to an end.
"How would you feel if your home, everything you work for, was flooded and destroyed?" Hebert says.
Roy, echoing that sentiment.
"It's no way in the world that we should have to deal with this," she says. "People who have been living here longer than me say they've never dealt with this before, never. This is unbelievable."
There is an ordinance in New Iberia that prohibits causing wakes in floodwaters, or you risk facing a misdemeanor charge. You can read it for yourself here. We are reaching out to police to ask how it is being enforced.
As a reminder, in times of heavy rain or severe weather, it's best to avoid driving altogether if you can. If you must drive, be mindful of your neighbors. Don't drive through flood waters, not only for your own safety, but for the sake of others' homes and businesses.
