IBERIA PARISH — In Iberia Parish, what starts as a fast-food bag on the side of the road can end up as a flooded street in your neighborhood.
“They don’t care about this neighborhood. They don’t care about this city. They don’t care about nothing. Everybody pass and throw everything out of their cars, all over… like it’s nothing,” said neighbor Paul Edward Anthony.
When litter gets tossed into streets, ditches, or storm drains, it doesn’t just sit there — rainwater carries that trash into the parish’s drainage system. Plastic bags, bottles, and fast food containers can clog pipes and block culverts, slowing or even stopping the flow of water. That buildup can cause backups, standing water, and flooding, especially during heavy rain.
In short: trash blocks the drains, water has nowhere to go, and neighborhoods flood.
Public Works crews routinely clear out ditches and culverts, but say they’re constantly playing catch-up with what people leave behind.
“I think that if everyone would just do their part — keep trash where it belongs, in the trash can. Not throw it out of the cars. It’s easy to keep your litter or trash in the vehicle until you get home,” said Public Works Director Jean Romero.
Litter and drainage are two of the most common complaints in Iberia Parish. But they’re not separate problems — they’re connected. And officials say solving one could help fix the other.
