T.S. Lee leaves little impact behind

As Terrebonne Parish President Michel Claudet and Terrebonne Parish Levee and Conservation District Executive Director Reggie Dupre prepared to take a noon-time helicopter tour of the lower parish areas on Monday, their overall assessment was that Tropical Storm Lee failed to deliver the damaging impact that was feared on Friday.

Locals confirm that this weekend’s weather event, the first of any significant nature since Hurricanes Gustav and Ike hit the area in 2008, was not as bad as they anticipated for most areas.

“I think we dodged a bullet,” Claudet said. “Understand this, even though this was not a major wind event, the fact that it stayed off our coast and beat us to death caused a lot of problems. We had higher than expected storm surges because it continued to hold the water up. That was the problem you were seeing in Plaquemines Parish and New Orleans.”

Claudet said that as of Monday morning there had been reports of only three homes flooded in different areas of the parish. He cautioned that officials did not know at that time of structural flooding or damage that had not been reported, so they were cautious about suggesting the low count as being final.

“We have just done damage assessments,” Claudet said. “They had water in the lower parts of the parish, so it is conceivable that they had water in homes that we have not been approached about.”

Momentary and minor electrical outages were reported on Sunday. Power was lost only shortly during morning services at the First United Methodist Church in Houma, when a tree fell across La. Highway 311, less than a block away, and hit a power line. Crews quickly responded and removed the debris with no damage reported to area property.

Downed tree branches, bayous running over their banks and low level lawn flooding marked the most of reported damage during the Labor Day weekend.

A voluntary evacuation for lower Terrebonne Parish, mainly in the Shrimpers Row area, had been lifted by Monday morning.

“I’ve seen people come back with their horse trailers,” said Chauvin resident Dot-tee Ratcliff. “You know we are pretty tough people down here and things don’t get to us much. We just do what we have to do.”

Originally forecasting up to 15 inches of rainfall through the three-day weekend, the National Weather Service reported that as of Monday morning the Houma area registered 8.7 inches.

A total of 17 complete and partial roads closings remained in place Monday, due to high water making them impassable. They included: Falgout Canal Road, Bayou Dularge Road (1500 block southward), Four Point Road, Coast Guard Road, Shrimpers Row (5600 block southward), Bayou Sale Road (6800 block to 6900 block and 8000 block), Savanne Road (100 block to Pelto Bridge), Texas Gulf Road (400 block southward, Island Road, La. Highway 655 (Pointe-aux-Chenes Road, 2200 block southward), Crochetville Road (south of Sara Road), Fallon Drive, Blair Drive (200 block to Fallon Drive), Anaheim Drive (southern portion), Falgout Canal Pontoon Bridge and Dulac Pontoon Bridge.

To report flooding, call the EOC at (985) 873-6357.

High water and wind damage offers evidence from the impact of Tropical Storm Lee. MIKE NIXON