St. Landry Parish, LA — A wave of powerful storms rolled through St. Landry Parish Tuesday night, leaving behind significant flooding in several areas. By Wednesday morning, roads were submerged, and some residents found themselves stranded as floodwaters continued to rise.
KATC’s St. Landry Parish Reporter, Paris Flannigan, was on the ground in Opelousas, providing live coverage from JM Lafleur Road, an area that remained underwater more than 12 hours after the storms passed. The severe weather caused extensive damage, with high waters making many roads impassable.
Parish President Jessie Bellard took to social media to address the community’s concerns, urging residents to be patient as local officials worked to respond to the widespread flooding. In a message shared early Wednesday, Bellard explained that while many were calling for immediate action, such as digging ditches, the extreme rain made it nearly impossible to address the situation quickly.
“People have been calling and texting me all morning about flooding situations, asking the parish to dig ditches and everything else. Listen, we can dig all the ditches we want — it won’t help when you have this kind of rain. Please be patient with us,” Bellard said.
In the wake of the storm, road closures and high water forced many drivers to reroute, some relying on lifted vehicles to travel through affected areas. Parish crews worked tirelessly throughout the day to clear debris and reopen streets. However, for many residents, the situation was far from normal.
Ashton Stelly, a local resident of JM Lafleur Road, described the scene as unlike anything he had witnessed before. “It was pretty bad,” he said. “The road was all the way up to the gully.” Stelly added that water levels had initially reached his shin but had started to recede by Wednesday afternoon, although areas near the curve of the road remained heavily flooded.
Linetec services crews were also on-site, battling through high water to repair damaged electrical lines. Foreman Ryan Ducote shared the difficulties his team faced in accessing the area. “There was a lot of flooding. We had to take several different routes just to get here,” Ducote said. “A lot of people were using four-wheelers to get through. Flooding is a big issue right now.”
By Wednesday morning, Billeaux Road, which had been clear the day before, had become completely impassable due to the rising waters. Parish officials continued to monitor the situation closely, with Bellard stressing the importance of safety in the ongoing response efforts.
“We’re doing what we can to make these roads passable,” Bellard said. “Right now, our priority is making sure everyone is safe.”
Residents have been urged to avoid flooded areas as emergency crews continue their work. As the water slowly recedes, officials are hopeful that normal conditions will return soon, but they are cautioning everyone to remain vigilant in case of further storms.
For now, the parish remains in recovery mode, and officials are continuing to assess the damage as they work to restore normalcy to St. Landry Parish.