LAFAYETTE PARISH — After severe flash flooding swept through parts of Acadiana early Thursday morning, residents in the Oak Springs subdivision in Carencro say the rising waters are part of a troubling and ongoing issue.
Kenneth Lejeune, who has lived in the neighborhood for six years, said flooding has been a persistent problem from the start.“Oh it’s terrible, horrible man, the rain keeps coming and the water just keeps coming up,” Lejeune said.“Ever since I've been here, if we get a hard rain, it builds up water like this all through the neighborhood.”
While his home avoided flood damage during this latest event, Lejeune admitted it came dangerously close.“I was praying, I was praying we wouldn’t get much more because I knew the water would come up — and then we woke up to this, this morning,” he said.
Neighbor Kevin Duplantis, a longtime resident of 11 years, also dealt with water pooling on his property. He recalled the 2016 flood and expressed frustration that little has changed since then. Noting how long it takes just to see the water drain from the neighborhood“It depends on how thick it is, but it’ll stay for a good long time, like all afternoon. It’ll just stay,” Duplantis explained.
He added that years ago, residents circulated a petition urging parish leaders to address drainage and flooding concerns, but the effort eventually lost momentum. The problems, he said, have only continued.“If I've been here this long and they haven't done anything, I’m ready to move,” Duplantis said.
Despite the recurring issues, Lejeune remains hopeful that the parish will finally step in with solutions.“I’d like to see things get done. I’d like to see the parish come out and tend to this issue and get it resolved — find where the problem is and get it fixed,” he said.
Residents in Oak Springs say they’re not just dealing with inconvenience — they’re bracing for what might come with the next major storm, and they’re calling on parish officials to act before it’s too late.
