There are rising concerns in Opelousas when it comes to drainage.
People who live on the Northside of the city say trash and debris are piling up in drainage canals. The historic flood in 2016 is one that some residents on north Opelousas are still reeling from.
"The whole street was flooded," Mandress Surialle said. "Everybody lost everything back here. My sister, she had to move out."
However, for Eric Green and Mandress Surialle, flooding isn’t uncommon here.
"Every time it rains, it do that," Green said. They say the main cause of the problem in the canals.
"They don’t clean these drainage (canals) around here," Green said.
Opelousas Chief Administrative Officer Rod Sias said the canals hadn’t been cleaned in a while. However, work is underway to clear out the narrow canals.
Sias explained that the canals were built in the 1960s and are narrow. The city is in the process of getting equipment and material handlers to clean the area.
Sias confirmed that the city has cleaned around four tons of debris on the streets, to prevent it from getting into the canals. The city hopes to clear out the canals soon and officials are in the process of getting bids for the material needed.
Residents know the importance of that work.
"It’s just full of trash and the water ain’t got nowhere to go," Green said.
