By Renee Allemand
Orange flood control tubes have lined Bayou Des Allemands since before Hurricane Gustav made landfall, but that’s not all public works crews have been doing to curb storm surge flooding.
Over the weekend as waters rose due to Hurricane Ike, crews were building temporary earthen levees out of sand and plastic. They were assisting Bayou Gauche residents in placing and filling sandbags. And they were continuing work to clean out drainage ditches in the event Ike brought even more heavy rain.
These men and women have been working nonstop since Labor Day. Their efforts are much-appreciated.
DEBRIS CLEANUP ONGOING
Contracted cleanup crews are now working in each council district to clear storm debris. The project started the Monday after Hurricane Gustav.
Parish officials are asking residents to be patient. Crews are dealing with a multitude of not only ‘green’ debris (branches, leaves, etc.), but also larger debris such as furniture and damaged fencing. This is a monumental task, and within the next week or so, crews should be completing their first pass of the entire parish.
A second pass will begin shortly thereafter.
Please keep in mind that the contractor is paid by the amount of debris brought to the landfill, not by hours worked. It is to their advantage to be as quick and thorough as possible.
Be sure to separate storm debris and regular household garbage as you place these items curbside.
If you have any complaints about debris pickup in your area, call the Contract Monitor’s office at (985) 764-1207.
GUSTAV, IKE TEACH PREPAREDNESS LESSONS
Before Hurricane Gustav threatened, the parish began airing an informational video about hurricane preparedness on Government Access Channel 6.
A section of the video, which was shot and edited by Melanie Worrall of Luling, outlines the importance of flood insurance. Everything we’ve seen in the last three weeks – from flooding in Bayou Gauche, Willowridge and Montz – emphasizes that everyone in the parish should be covered.
Flood insurance ensures there is money available for citizens to recover quickly from a hurricane or similar weather event. To learn more about flood insurance, visit www.floodsmart.org.
The video can be seen on the St. Charles Parish YouTube channel, www.youtube.com/stcharlesgov.
(Renee C. Allemand is the Public Information Officer for St. Charles Parish. She can be reached at (985) 783-5000 or rallemand@stcharlesgov.net)
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