ST. LANDRY PARISH — Floodwaters that St. Landry Parish leaders warned were coming have now reached parts of Palmetto, leaving residents watching water levels rise and checking on family members.
Helen Frazier drove in from Avoyelles Parish to check on her family after hearing concerns about flooding in the area. She said she had never seen conditions like this before and was unsure what would happen next.
“I don't know and, and, and I've never seen this before, so I hope everything gets better and not worse, but I don't know,” Frazier said.
Frazier said she made the trip because she was worried about her older sister and wanted to make sure her family was safe as the water continued to move through the area.
“I heard things are gonna get bad and I was concerned about my sister because they're older. I was concerned about them, you know, being here and, you know, nobody's around,” Frazier said.
She said the flooding concerns started before she even arrived in Palmetto after noticing water along her drive into the area.
“I saw water on the I-10 and it was coming up and I said, ‘man, why is that water coming up so high?’” Frazier said.
As water continues to rise, St. Landry Parish President Jessie Bellard has continued providing updates to residents through social media, including Facebook live videos showing current conditions in Palmetto.
Bellard has also reminded drivers to be cautious as flooding impacts travel, including the expected closure of Cortalbeau Road from Port Barre to Highway 90 as water levels increase.
Frazier said her biggest concern now is for other areas seeing more significant impacts, including where her daughter lives farther down Veazie Road.
“Her area is going to be OK, but my daughter's area is not. and I'm just concerned about all this water,” Frazier said.
Frazier said her daughter’s home is farther down the now-flooded Veazie Road, where she remains concerned about the rising water. She said her family is staying together, and reassurance from her brother-in-law has helped ease some of her worries.
“This is in a higher area, he told me. That's why I'm so OK now because he said this is a high area,” Frazier said.
While Frazier says she feels better knowing her family’s home is in a higher area, she says many residents in Palmetto are still watching the water closely and hoping it does not rise any higher.
