ST. MARTIN PARISH — A Breaux Bridge homeowner says flooding along Chawee Road has turned his dream home into a constant source of worry, as he continues calling for a solution to ongoing drainage problems near his property.
Ronald Thomas says he has watched water surround his home after heavy rains for years, including a 2016 flood that damaged everything inside.
"Now this was our dream home we thought, but it's turning out to be a nightmare because each time it rains I'm walking the floor hoping that my house doesn't flood, which it did in 2016 and we lost everything inside the house, you know," Thomas said.
Thomas says he has lived on the property since 2004 and has seen flooding become a recurring issue. He believes a nearby drainage ditch cannot handle the volume of water during heavy rainfall, causing water to back up into his neighborhood.
"We’ve been dealing with this since 2010, 2016; I got flooded, it started happening again, it got close to the house. In 2023, 2025, and 2026, I think even more; I have pictures but having pictures just don't do anything, you got to have somebody see what could be done"
Thomas says the problem is not the amount of rain falling, but the ability of the drainage system to move that water away.
"The land could handle the water from the amount of rain, but the land can't handle the drainage," Thomas said.
Behind Thomas’ home is a drainage ditch that fills during heavy rainfall. He says when the ditch reaches capacity, water flows back toward nearby properties instead of away from the neighborhood.
The flooding concerns have also sparked a debate among St. Martin Parish leaders over how to address drainage maintenance.
During a recent St. Martin Parish Council meeting, Parish President Pete Delcambre said work on certain drainage areas requires approval from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers because some areas may be considered wetlands.
"Any wetlands area that is to be touched needs a permit through them to be able to process and do the construction work," Delcambre said.
Council Chairman Chris Tauzin disagrees, arguing that under the Clean Water Act, routine maintenance of existing drainage channels should not require the same permitting process if the work does not expand or alter the existing coulees.
Tauzin says maintaining laterals and coulees throughout the parish could help reduce flooding concerns, but he believes the current permitting process could delay needed work.
The parish attorney, Lee Durio, is reviewing the issue to determine whether maintenance work can move forward without additional permits. Durio says he expects to have an answer before the parish council’s next meeting on August 4.
For Thomas, the debate is about finding a solution before the next major rainfall event.
"You get so frustrated from seeing things like this here," Thomas said.
Tauzin says the parish needs to take action, warning that continued drainage issues could lead to larger problems across St. Martin Parish.
