ST. MARTIN PARISH, LA — Heavy rainfall that hit Acadiana on Monday led to flash flooding across several communities, prompting the closure of schools and businesses in Upper St. Martin Parish. Among the hardest-hit areas were the Durand and Ledoux subdivisions, where floodwaters submerged roads and yards, significantly impacting local residents.
Tyrone Thompson, a longtime resident of the Durand subdivision, shared his experience of the flood. Thompson, who has lived in the area for over 20 years, explained that flooding during heavy rain has become a regular issue. “When I seen all this water, I said, well, you know what, I cannot leave my family here like this while I go to work, and something happens and they can’t even get out,” he said. He noted that flooding typically affects his property and his neighbor’s yard for several hours before the water recedes.
Glen Herbert, Thompson’s neighbor, has faced similar flooding challenges over the years. While his home was fortunate enough to avoid significant damage this time, Herbert expressed concern over the persistent water buildup in the area. “I told him, it’s a nice piece of property, but the water backs up right there,” Herbert said. He pointed to a clogged drain as a major contributing factor, suggesting that it exacerbated the flooding in their neighborhood. “All this stuff that goes in that water just makes it worse; all that is plugged up,” Herbert added.
St. Martinville Mayor Jason Wills confirmed Herbert’s concerns, explaining that the flooding was largely a result of overflow from Bayou Teche. The bayou, which collects runoff from multiple nearby communities—including St. Martinville, Parks, Cypress Island, Cade, and parts of New Iberia—was overwhelmed by the intense rainfall. “The water picks up all of that debris and tries to send it through these little small culvert holes, and it clogs it up,” Mayor Wills said. He also revealed that the region had received approximately 5 inches of rain in just 40 to 45 minutes, an unprecedented volume of rain that no local drainage system was equipped to handle.
The mayor emphasized the importance of maintaining clean drainage systems to help alleviate future flooding. “The bayou is getting high because everybody is draining into the Bayou Teche,” Wills explained. “It’s not just from the rain falling into the bayou. It’s all the water from everybody’s neighborhood going into that bayou, so it raises up the bayou.”
As floodwaters begin to recede, local officials are calling on residents to take responsibility for the upkeep of drainage ditches and culverts in their communities. Mayor Wills urged the public to clean out their ditches regularly to prevent water buildup and reduce the risk of severe flooding in the future.
In the wake of the flooding, residents are working together to recover from the damage while hoping for improved drainage solutions to prevent future disasters.