Tag: Hurricane Ida

Terrebonne Parish Sees Double Garbage and Debris pickup in wake of Hurricane Ida

Exactly a month after Terrebonne Parish suffered historic levels of loss due to Hurricane Ida, it was reported by HoumaToday that more than 7,000 tons of household garbage has been picked up across the parish– nearly double the standard amount during that time frame.

This enormous increase in garbage pickup equates to an extraordinary amount of added workload and man-hours put in by sanitation employees who were also citizens of the parish and thus impacted by Hurricane Ida alongside the citizens whose garbage they picked up. The employees that work for Terrebonne Parish’s sanitation contractor, Pelican Waste, faced various challenges in housing, transportation, and other storm-related issues since the Category 4 storm’s August 29 landfall.

The solid waste director of Terrebonne Parish, Clay Naquin, told Parish Council members at the September 29 council meeting that his department “tried everything they could” to get Pelican Waste employees back into the parish following the storm so that cleanup could begin. The “everything” Naquin referred to included providing power generators, temporary housing, and three square meals a day whenever possible to his workers.

Once they were back in the parish, collection crews from multiple contractors went out across the parish to pick up as much commercial, mixed, and debris garbage that they could, despite delays faced along the way. Naquin urged the public’s adherence to FEMA guidelines that indicate how debris should be stored and stacked at the curbside. Similarly, collection crews follow FEMA protocols when it comes to debris collection, and their garbage trucks are usually followed by teams ensuring that such protocols are being followed.

Because of the increase in debris pickup this past month, adhering to FEMA guidelines at both the waste management and resident level is of utmost importance, according to Naquin. He told council members, “if we don’t follow the protocol that FEMA puts out there, we have a chance of losing funding. can tell you right now, we’re probably pushing $6 million-plus in our debris collection, and if we don’t follow this, we have a chance of losing everything.”

Outside of the routine garage pickup, many Terrebonne Parish residents have been bringing their garbage and debris to the parish’s designated drop-off sites. Having citizens haul their own debris and garbage to these sites significantly lessens the workload placed on individual garbage collecting crews. As of the September 29 Terrebonne Parish Council meeting, Naquin reported that 121 tons of vegetation, 2,822 tons of mixed debris, and 5,378 tons of commercial mixed debris have been dropped off at these designated locations.

Naquin also emphasized that a parish-hired contractor, DRC, had picked up 674,167 cubic yards of storm debris across a total of 12,140 loads. He then provided a figure that was given by Governor John Bel Edwards in a recent news conference in which he stated that the state picked up 1 million cubic yards of debris on all state roads affected by the hurricane. Naquin compared this to DRC’s average of 35,000 cubic yards of debris picked up daily, saying “I’m giving those numbers just to show you that this crew, DRC is out there, really working.”

In addition to accruing significant amounts of debris in the wake of Hurricane Ida, Terrebonne Parish saw about 85% of its signage become lost or damaged during the storm. Out of these 17,500 signs, about 5% have been restored and reset, and parish public works director David Rome assured the council that the department is prioritizing signs at the top of the restoration list, due to civil and transportation importance. The restoration list of signs to be reset sees stop signs, followed by street name signs, then yield, and speed limit signs in that sequential order.

Little by little, the various departments and agencies across Terrebonne Parish are putting in the man-hours and effort necessary to help the area “bounce back” from a detrimental storm season, thus offering a small glimmer of hope in these turbulent times.

For more Louisiana-related articles, click here.

 

Lafourche Levee Systems Withheld Most Water from Ida

For all the damage left behind by Hurricane Ida, matters could have been made much worse if the levee system of South Lafourche had failed, but the levees held strong when it mattered most, according to an article from HoumaToday that details the strength of Lafourche’s levees.

On August 30, 2021, it was reported by the Associated Press that Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards examined a preliminary survey of the state’s levees, and he reached the conclusion that the levee systems, thankfully, had done “exactly as they intended and held the water out during Hurricane Ida.”

Hurricane Ida initially made its landfall on the shores of Port Fourchon on August 29, 2021. When it touched land, it was a vigorously strong Category 4 storm with winds of 150 mph. These finds blew down countless trees and decimated many homes in its path, but they were not able to penetrate the South Lafourche Levee system despite facing a particularly high storm surge of 12 to 15 feet.

Windell Curole is the executive director of the South Lafourche Levee District, and after he had spent hours looking over the Lafourche levee system in late September, he had said, “it’s still amazing looking at what took place and the power of that storm. This levee was originally designed for a strong Category 2 or a weak 3. It was a close call. There were no guarantees.”

Curole continued to detail how essential the levee system’s foundation was throughout the roughest parts of the storm by saying, “ We knew the winds were extremely strong for an extremely long time. We didn’t get a chance to get to the pump station and the floodgates for 18 hours. I’ve never seen South Lafourche look so bad. That wind came in and just tore it up. If we would’ve had a levee breach, we think people would have died. You can’t move when the wind is blowing like it was. There would have been 5 or 6 feet of water in some of those houses. We are very fortunate that didn’t happen.”

The news of Lafourche’s successful levees was well-received being that the United States Corps of Army Engineers had decertified south Lafourche’s hurricane-protection system after Hurricane Katrina in 2005. They had attributed the decertification to the levees lying too low to be able to provide adequate protection.

At one time, the ring levee in South Lafourche was only 13 feet high in the south and nearly 8 feet high in the north, but after residents passed a 1-cent sales tax in 2015, the system was appropriately elevated. A new building program was created in the district to raise the levee to at least 16 feet and 13 feet above sea level on the south and north ends, respectively.

Additionally, praise came in from Washington to celebrate the Lafourche levee’s strength, as it was reported that United States Representative Garret Graves, R-Baton Rouge, praised Curole and the entire district for taking the time necessary and putting in additional effort to improve the levee system. He said, “Curole and the Levee District worked with the citizens of Lafourche Parish and the State of Louisiana to help invest in better hurricane-protection projects for our community. Despite the headwinds of cease-and-desist letters, legal threats, and government red tape, they succeeded. They knew that if they could get the Larose to Golden Meadow system elevated, lives, homes, businesses, and communities could be spared from future storms. The levees held, and their effort saved a lot of lives and prevented severe destruction.”

It’s certainly affirming to learn that despite experiencing some of the toughest storm conditions South Louisiana has seen in some time, that our vital levee systems are maintaining the peace by doing what they’re built to do: protect and withhold.

For more Louisiana-related articles, click here.

After 107 years, Chauvin Grocery is Destroyed by Hurricane Ida

When Hurricane Ida left historical amounts of damage and devastation in its path, some of the state’s more historic structures were irreparably damaged, and according to an article from HoumaToday, Cecil Lapeyrouse’s 107-year-old Chauvin grocery is one of those lost community structures that is particularly tough to see go.

Hurricane Ida, the ravaging Category 4 storm, had 150-mph winds that swept much of Southeastern Louisiana in its path, including (but not limited to) sheds, construction sites, gas tanks, pieces of road and highways, and so much more. It was this type of debris that struck the 107-year-old store, and its roof was pulled off in the massive winds.

One of the more devastating aspects of the loss of Cecil Lapeyrouse’s Grocery is the fact that this single structure, one that has stood tall in Chauvin, Louisiana offering its small community a reliable source of food, produce, and service, has stood by many other disasters for over a century. And it’s that massive period of time that is so striking; as the article highlights, this grocery store stood by as a titan, making it through two world wars, depressions, various storms, and pandemics, yet it was no match for Ida.

Many Louisiana citizens have been seriously affected by the damage from Hurricane Ida, particularly in the Terrebonne and Lafourche parishes. If you or someone you know is in need of FEMA resources, please see this resource.

In the weeks that have passed since the storm made landfall, there have been few silver linings sprinkled throughout the recovery process of an entire corner of Louisiana. Some of these linings have been community members banding together, the city of Houma hosting a “Where the Heart Is Hurricane Ida relief event,”  and even Louisiana’s food stamp recipients seeing disaster assistance added to the SNAP benefits. Despite these little moments of hope, owner Cecil Lapeyrouse doesn’t see a promising future to the fallen Grocery anytime soon, but he is hopeful of the coming years.

He told reporters, “It’s never going to be like it was, you know? You’ll always see remnants of ‘Oh, that was done for Ida. … It’s never going to be back like it was. I can guarantee you that we would not be able to have any kind of holiday in the shop so it’d be well into next year. I’d like to be able to be open today, you know, but I mean it’s just, it’s not possible that soon, with this, this amount of damage. It’s going to be all right. We’re going to stay with it.”

The interview occurred days after the Lapeyrouses’s neighborhood had its power turned back on, but that valuable resource, like to many others, proved to need extensive electrical work before lights could be turned back on. Even with all these obstacles present, volunteers continue to arrive at the Chauvin Grocery to distribute hot meals, clean water, and ice to a neighborhood in dire need. The publication asked that if any among its readership had the means to help the struggling grocer, they could “reach out to Cecil and Etta Lapeyrouse by email.”

The resilience of a city as impacted and impactful as Chauvin is seen in the members of its community, its facilities, and its population’s pride. Chauvin Grocery not having its spirit inconceivably shaken despite having everything else up-ended is a symbolic promise that Hurricane Ida, while detrimental, didn’t take the Southern Louisiana spirit in its winds. If the community grocery store can eventually make it after all this, then the community can as well.

For more Louisiana-related articles, click here.

Chauvin Sculpture Garden: Damaged by Ida with Plans to be Restored

Storm damage left in the wake of Hurricane Ida is set to be repaired and reversed by supporters of Nicholls State University’s Chauvin Sculpture Garden, according to an article from Houma Today.

When Hurricane Ida historically made landfall and damaged a significant portion of Southeastern Louisiana in late August, one of Terrebonne Parish’s most recognizable and unique landmarks was significantly damaged. Owned by Nicholls State University and located at 5337 Bayouside Drive, the Chauvin Sculpture Garden receives approximately 10,000 visitors each and every year. Despite receiving damage from the state’s previous storms, several of the Chauvin Sculpture Garden’s pieces had sustained significant damage from falling trees from Hurricane Ida.

As soon as pictures, reports, and eyewitness accounts were made public via Facebook, supporters of the garden came out in droves not just with well wishes but also donations and offerings to help bring the garden and its pieces back to their former glory. One of the pieces receiving significant damage was the “Flowered Path,” a personal favorite of the garden’s sculptor, Kenny Hill.

A self-taught artist, Hill was first a brick-layer by trade before he moved to Chauvin in 1988 and created the garden with over 100 concrete statues that rest along Bayou Little Caillou. In the garden lie many beloved portrayals of Cajuns, angels, self-portraits, and other impressive figures, though as described by the president of the Friends of the Chauvin Sculpture Garden, Dr. Gary LaFleur, many sustained massive damages.

LaFleur reported to Houma Today, “It has gotten some damage from hurricanes before like Katrina and Gustav, but nothing of this magnitude. The winds in Chauvin were pretty high, maybe as high as 150 mph. A lot of trees came down. One tree branch came down on part of the “Flowered Path,” where the artist Kenny Hill was able to make angels look like they’re flying in the air. But they weren’t made to have a big branch on them. One of those angels is carrying a baby, and somehow the baby fell out of the angel’s arms and got caught up in the branches but did not hit the ground. We caught the baby and stored it away so the baby is OK, but most of the angels took some damage.”

LaFleur continued to explain that though it’s a bit early to restore the garden, due to the substantial damages to the surrounding area, the wheels are already in motion. In fact, as soon as the story of the garden’s damages was spread across social media channels, organizers began to organize together with a goal of restoring the garden so as to bring a symbolic gesture of faith and hope to a community similarly weakened by the storm.

Jonathan Foret is the Executive Director of the South Louisiana Wetlands Discovery Center in Houma, and upon seeing Ida’s impact on the garden, he reported to Houma Today that he was particularly pained by it.

Foret expressed, “it may seem odd, but of all the things I didn’t want to see this broken the most. Not to make insignificant all the people that lost their possessions and homes. I know that is most important. I’m not sure why, but maybe I do. It’s an important symbol of Chauvin … and Terrebonne Parish. I want to be a part of putting this back together. It’s symbolic … and I hope it can help us all heal.”

If you’d like to track the restoration efforts of bringing the Chauvin Sculpture Garden back to its full, former spectacle and glory, it’s suggested that you visit the Garden’s Facebook Page. In addition to this restoration effort, if you’d like to also assist struggling residents in the Houma area who were affected by the storm, please visit the New York Times’ linked resources.

For more Louisiana-related articles, click here.

LSU AgCenter Offers Home Restoration Resources Following Hurricane Ida

After devastating Hurricane Ida left countless homes and businesses in Southwest Louisiana in various states of disrepair, the LSU AgCenter LaHouse Home and Landscape Resource Center is serving those repairing their residences and facilities with valuable information/home restoration resources, according to this article from the University’s Agricultural Center.

The Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, which has been formally operating under the LSU umbrella since 1971 and has only grown to operate out of 15 total research stations, extension offices in all 64 parishes, and 14 academic and research departments at LSU A&M. Funded by a partnership with federal, state, and local governments, grants, and private funds, the LSU AGCenter is one of the LSU System’s nine total campuses, and since late august’s Hurricane Ida left many in the area beginning to repair their residential and commercial structures on their own, the AgCenter is distributing valuable information and guidance at no cost to residents.

Citizens are being advised to visit the “Flood Recovery and Resilience” page that is located on the LSU AgCenter website for a curated selection of articles and publications on storm recovery and strategies to avoid similar damage in the future.

Claudette Reichel is a housing specialist for the LSU AgCenter who told the University’s press that repairing one’s home following a terrible weather event can be a massively daunting and stressful ordeal due to the financial and health-related costs. She told the press, “the expense, time, and work that go into repairing your home can have a silver lining with clean-up and restoration methods that reward you with a more resilient, healthy, energy-efficient and comfortable home. Even when money is tight, there are opportunities to make choices for a better home.”

One of the more valuable resources located on the LSU AgCenter’s Storm Clean-Up page is the guidance of a publication entitled “Storm Damage Cleanup,” which offers its readers the following tips to adhere when completing repairs following this past storm or preparing for the next one.

  • Before you enter any home that has flooded, you should ensure that all electrical and gas supply lines have been disconnected and carefully assess all potential dangers such as structural damages and snakes prior to entry.
  • For peace of mind, have a professional assess and inspect all service appliances and fixtures prior to their use.
  • A building that has been flood-damaged will require special attention in order to avoid or correct a “mold population explosion.” Please follow the 10-steps listed in the AgCenter’s fact sheet for safe and effective DIY mold removal.
  • It’s suggested that moldy, porous items such as carpeting and gypsum wallboard be removed as soon as possible. Additionally, you should clean and disinfect all surfaces that came into contact with floodwaters and allow those materials to dry thoroughly.
  • You should throw out any food preparation and food storage items made out of wood or plastic that came in contact with floodwater and sanitize all metal and ceramic items that came into contact as well.
  • Test all well water following a storm and refrain from drinking it until it is deemed safe to do so.
  • Be advised that any homes built prior to 1978 will likely have lead-based paint and materials containing asbestos, so proper precautions should be taken when conducting repairs, renovations, or “gutting the walls.”
  • All wet carpet should be removed instead of salvaged while Solid hardwood and ceramic floor tiling can often be restored depending on the types of damage that occurred. When in doubt, it’s best to replace the flooring.
  • When assessing a home that has come into contact with significant amounts of floodwater, you should determine which pieces of damaged furniture can be salvageable. For instance, wooden pieces of furniture can often be restored if they are properly cleaned and allowed to sufficiently dry while upholstered furniture is often found to be incredibly difficult to restore, especially if the item was fully submerged.

Outside of the flood-damage tips, the LSU AgCenter offers an in-depth page of frequently asked questions that cover a wide range of topics that can be pertinent to the resident repairing a recently-flooded home such as replacing insulation and drying home materials.

In addition to offering the public an array of tips and suggested guidance for getting home restoration and getting things back in working order following a damaging storm, precautions should be taken to “wet floodproof” the home to reduce future damage. The term refers to making improvements such as elevating appliances, making repairs with water-resistant materials, and taking precautions to prevent wicking. If these “wet floodproofing” strategies are in place by the time the next tropical depression, heavy thunderstorm, or hurricane comes to town, then there will be a much easier cleanup once the bad weather has passed, thanks to the resources provided by the LSU AgCenter.

For more education-related information, click here.

Power Starting to Return to Terrebonne and Lafourche

After undergoing detrimental, life-altering setbacks from Hurricane Ida, electricity is slowly beginning to return to the parishes of Terrebonne and Lafourche, according to Houma Today.  For Hurricane Ida recovery, resources, and assistance in Terrebonne and Lafourche Parishes, please visit this link.

As of Wednesday, September 8, Houma Today reported that there were 26,404 Entergy customers in Terrebonne Parish without power and 42,137 people, or 95%, without electricity in Lafourche Parish.

Though the process of getting power back to the communities of Terrebonne and Lafourche has been slow ever since Hurricane Ida left the southeastern Louisiana parishes into darkness in late August, some Houma communities like the Oakshire neighborhood have had their power restored by SLECA with more to follow soon. SLECA, or the South Louisiana Electric Cooperative Association, reported that their crews have been “putting in 16-hour days” to restore power to its 6,500 customers in Terrebonne and Lafourche.

Entergy is the largest utility company in the Houma-Thibodaux area, serving 71,720 customers in two parishes, and as of September 8th, there were 1,075 poles broken in Terrebonne, 879 downed wires and 1,270 damaged transformers, according to Entergy who estimates a date of 100% restoration to be at the end of September. Though, the parish aims to have power restored to critical areas well before that date. For instance, one of the top priorities identified by parish officials has been to restore power to Terrebonne General Medical Center.

Entergy Senior Communications Specialist Brandon Scardigli said of the restoration efforts, “while the estimated date of restoration is Sept. 29, we expect to begin powering critical facilities and other social infrastructure within the parish in advance of this date. We continue to clear roads and pick up poles and wire while simultaneously repairing feeder lines to critical customers. We expect to continue this focus while we expand to residential areas and restore power to the parish.”

With electricity slowly beginning to trickle back across the area, it’s possible that Terrebonne Parish’s boil advisorymight soon be lifted. According to officials, power has returned to the Schriever Water Plant, which will allow for water to once again be tested against “stringent standards” for the safety of the community.

Terrebonne Parish President Gordy Dove reported that the Terrebonne Parish Utilities Department has also been making strides to the 13,308 customers in Houma’s city limits. Dove said of his parish’s progress, “As of right now (September 9) we have 2,200 households with power. All the substations are completely repaired. As we hook up and energize an area, they will have to cut the power to your house if there’s damage because they don’t want to turn the electricity on and shock someone or burn the house down.”

Lafourche Parish President Archie Chaisson told Houma Today that significant portions of Thibodaux and Chackbayhave begun to see lights returning to the area. When interviewed about what the recent return to “some time of normalcy” meant for her family when her electricity returned earlier in the week, Thibodaux resident Danielle Stein said, “we are so grateful. We know how blessed we are to be some of the first in Lafourche Parish with power so my daughter and I are out volunteering in the community today, doing what we can to give back to those who are less fortunate.”

Outside of electrical updates to the Houma area, the Terrebonne Animal Shelter has reported that they are encountering and saving more and more stray animals every day. Residents are encouraged to contact the organization known as 911 Foster Pets in the event that they need temporary foster care to be provided for a pet. The shelter staff has also been handing out pet supplies at the various distribution sites throughout the parish for those in need. In addition to supplies being distributed by the shelter, FEMA has been conducting Disaster Survivor Assistanceoutreach and registration at Grand Caillou Middle School.

For more Louisiana-related articles, click here