By KEVIN CHIRI
Slidell news bureau
SLIDELL – Extensive flooding this past week throughout St. Tammany Parish led the federal government to declare the region a disaster, opening the door for assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
The western portions of St. Tammany experienced their share of flooding this past weekend for residents living near the Tchefuncta, Bogue Falaya and Abita rivers, while the eastern side of the parish began to feel the effects of the Pearl River during the middle of this week as it spilled over its banks.
Problems were created by three days of torrential rainstorms in Southeast Louisiana last week, plus heavy rains further north that worked their way south into St. Tammany waterways.
Hardest hit at the outset of the flooding was the area between Covington and Folsom along Hwy. 25, before moving to the area of Hwy. 1085 (Bootlegger Road), and Hwy. 1077.
The city of Covington was hit this past Saturday by waters coming into the historic downtown area when the Bogue Falaya crested at 21 feet on Saturday. Chief of Police Tim Lentz said his unit rescued over 50 families, while businesses in downtown took on water.
St. Tammany Sheriff’s Office emergency workers rescued over 700 people on the west side of the parish as the Tchefunta and Bogue Falaya rivers went over their banks and into residential areas.
In Slidell the most prone regions of River Forest and Magnolia Forest, as well as on Indian Village Road, were expected to face the worst situations late this weekend and into the weekend since those homes are built on land near the river.
The West Pearl River crested right near 21 feet on Monday and began to slowly go down as the week proceeded. National Weather Service officials said they expected the river to be down to 17.6 feet by Saturday after cresting 7 feet above flood stage of 14 feet.
“This is like something I’ve never seen,” Parish President Pat Brister said as the heavy rains further north slowly began working their way down rivers that emptied into St. Tammany rivers.
Sheriff’s Office spokesman Capt. George Bonnet said rescue workers with that agency, along with members of various municipal police agencies, St. Tammany Parish fire districts, Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, and Federal Homeland Security personnel all worked together to rescue individuals and animals in danger throughout the weekend and into this week.
“Underscoring the danger of these operations, rescue teams had to be saved themselves on two different occasions,” Bonnet reported.
In one incident Friday morning, two deputies were swept into an unseen floodwater current and had to cling to a partially submerged tree for nearly two hours before being rescued. Both were treated for hypothermia and released from the hospital.
In the second incident, rescue workers were transporting evacuees and two dogs in a small boat. When one of the dogs became excited and lunged toward the bow of the watercraft, one of the residents tried to grab the dog and the shifting weight dipped the front of the boat into the water. The two deputies and two residents aboard grabbed onto nearby trees and were eventually rescued by a Sheriff’s Office high water vehicle nearby.
Bonnet said their team of rescue workers also saved more than 85 pets.
With the flooding situation continuing to grow as the week went on, St. Tammany officials were notified on Tuesday that FEMA officials had declared this a disaster area.
The declaration means federal funding is available to affected individuals if you are a resident of St. Tammany Parish and your home or business was damaged by flood waters any time beginning March 8, 2016.
To apply for assistance, individuals and business owners can register online at disasterassistance.gov, or by calling 800-621-3362. Phone line will operate from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week.
As a result of the disaster, the parish announced permit fees for renovations and repairs would be waived for homes or structures damaged by the flood waters.
St. Tammany Area Transit (STAR) had to suspend some of its service to western St. Tammany, but later resumed to the west side and will reevaluate its service area as weather permits, parish officials reported.
Early this week the parish moved its emergency operations to the Towers Building in Slidell, in advance of the expected crest of the West Pearl. Executive staff, as well as Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness staff, will be on hand from the Slidell location.
Slidell Mayor Freddy Drennan said he received calls from individuals who had water in their streets and seemed alarmed, but said the city limits are far enough from the rivers that he had no other problems.
“I try to tell people that water in the streets is what you should have from rains and that’s why we build our houses higher than the streets,” he said. “But in terms of flooded homes, we have been fortunate to not have any problems.”
Pearl River Mayor David McQueen reported early this week most of his community had dodged a bullet in terms of the limited flooding they had seen.
“As a whole, we came out pretty good,” McQueen stated.
In Slidell, a Red Cross emergency shelter was opened Tuesday evening at Community Christian Church, located at 1460 Lindberg Drive.
In advance of expected individuals looking to take advantage of the situation, Sheriff Jack Strain warned residents to “watch out for predatory contractors.”
Sheriff’s Office Financial Crimes Division officials suggested hiring only Louisiana State licensed contractors, getting at least three references, get at least three bids on a job and get a written contract. Pay no more than 10 percent or $1,000 down, whichever is less and don’t make a final payment unless you are satisfied with the work.
