ST. LANDRY PARISH — Tuesday night’s storms brought major flooding to several areas of St. Landry Parish, leaving roads submerged and some residents stranded.
KATC’s St. Landry Parish Reporter, Paris Flannigan, was on the ground Wednesday, reporting from JM Lafleur Road in Opelousas — a stretch that remains underwater more than 12 hours after the storms rolled through.
Parish President Jessie Bellard addressed the community via social media, urging residents to remain patient as parish officials respond to the widespread flooding.
“People have been calling and texting me all morning about flooding situations, asking the parish to dig ditches and everything else. Listen, we can dig all the ditches we want — it won’t help when you have this kind of rain. Please be patient with us,” Bellard said.
Road closures and high water forced some drivers to turn around or rely on lifted vehicles to get where they needed to go. Parish crews spent the day clearing debris and working to reopen streets.
“It was pretty bad,” said Ashton Stelly, a local resident. “The road was all the way up to the gully.” Stelly, who lives along JM Lafleur Road, said conditions were unlike anything he’s seen before.
“Oh man, this morning it was up to my shin. It went down a bit, but near the curve it’s still really bad,” he said.
Linemen with Linetec services were also on the scene, working through high water to repair damaged electrical lines.
“There was a lot of flooding. We had to take several different routes just to get here,” foreman Ryan Ducote. “A lot of people were using four-wheelers to get through. Flooding is a big issue right now.”
Billeaux Road, which was clear Tuesday, became impassable Wednesday morning.
“We’re doing what we can to make these roads passable,” said Bellard. “Right now, our priority is making sure everyone is safe.”
Residents are urged to avoid flooded areas, and parish officials continue to monitor conditions as the water slowly recedes.
