Proposed parish pipeline provides promise
May 3, 2011
Rebecca Cheramie
May 5, 2011
St. Mary officials are preparing for potential flooding within the next 20 days, due to rising water levels in the Atchafalaya River and area bodies of water from the Mississippi River.
Forecasts call for the Atchafalaya River to crest at 8 feet in Morgan City on May 23, but then drop rather quickly.
The rise has parish officials concerned about flooding in the Amelia area, which has no levee protection.
Morgan City Mayor Tim Matte said businesses and a handful of residents who live on the unprotected side of the city’s 15-mile, 22-foot seawall will be impacted.
At the close of business Friday, Parish President Paul Naquin declared a State of Emergency within St. Mary Parish, noting the possible flooding concerns.
Also, St. Mary director of Emergency Preparedness Duval Arthur said the parish ordered two truckloads of sand early last week to be shipped to the Amelia Volunteer Fire Department. The parish is also delivering filled sandbags to the station.
“My biggest concern is homeowners in Amelia whose properties were built before elevation requirements. I’m afraid some of them are going to flood,” Arthur said. “We’re going to keep a watchfully eye over this, but I think folks there need to begin some sort of sandbag preparations now.
“There really is no flood protection in Amelia,” he added.
Matte said Morgan City residents will need some sort of contingency plan, due to possible flooding of homes and businesses.
“Although initially we’re beginning with one or two, we are looking at closing eight to 10 of our flood gates once the water exceeds the banks on the unprotected side of the seawall,” he said.
“Our business owners have already been planning for this because it will affect how they operate.”
St. Mary Parish has not seen any flooding from the Atchafalaya River since the high flow of the Mississippi and Atchafalaya rivers in 1927, 1973 and 1975, which sent flood waters overflowing the banks.
Duval and Matte fear that the end of May will bring backwater concerns as well, not only in Amelia and Stephensville, located northeast of Morgan City, but also in the low-lying areas of Terrebonne Parish, including Bayou Black and Gibson.
“Once Bayou Boeuf is full, there is nowhere for any potential rainwater to drain in those areas,” Matte said.
Morgan City resident Larry Doiron, a contractor and business entrepreneur, said the problem serves as a reminder of the Atchafalaya River’s role in diverting Mississippi River water to the Gulf of Mexico.
“The Atchafalaya River is a ditch compared to the Mississippi River, and we’re responsible for getting 30 percent of the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico. The problem is we need a plan to plug up Bayou Boeuf to protect all parishes concerned,” Doiron said.
The Atchafalaya intersects the Mississippi River in Simmesport, La., and extends through portions of eight parishes, ending in Morgan City.
Arthur said snowmelt, an annual occurrence that begins in Cairo, Ill., just above where the Mississippi and Ohio rivers meet, and storm waters have swollen the Mississippi and its tributaries, causing local concern.
