With heavy downpours expected to begin on Tuesday night, Lafayette Consolidated Government has activated its emergency command center, mobilizing first responders and rescue teams in anticipation of severe flooding.
Mayor-President Monique Boulet said the center was activated to ensure a swift, coordinated response.
“All of our first responders and partner agencies are in place and ready,” said Boulet.
The Command Center is operating out of the Lafayette Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (OHSEP) and includes key personnel from police, search and rescue, and public works departments.
Showers are expected to continue throughout the night, with forecasters predicting heavier rainfall beginning around midnight and continuing through Thursday.
“There’s going to be a lot of rain in a short amount of time,” Boulet said. “Our drainage system just isn’t built to handle this much water.”
Boulet said emergency preparedness plans include road closures, search and rescue operations, and medical staging areas.
Late Tuesday, Lafayette Police began setting up barricades in known flood zones, including near the downtown underpass, and the department’s high-water rescue teams are on standby.
Sgt. Robin Green, spokesperson for the Lafayette Police Department, urged residents to take warnings seriously.
“Barricades are there for a reason. Don’t go around them—they’re for your safety,” Green said.
City officials are urging the public to stay off the roads and avoid unnecessary travel as the rain moves in.
