Area dries out after heavy rain

Published 12:00 am Sunday, March 4, 2001

Flood waters were receding and no major damage was reported Saturday after two days of heavy rains in Adams County and Concordia Parish. But after Catahoula Parish received an estimated 11 inches of rain in two days, 20-plus families had to leave their homes near Sicily Island Saturday afternoon as rising waters threatened to cut off access to their roads.

&uot;No water got into homes, but the roads were cut off, and we’re advising people to get out (of their homes) if it looks like the water’s getting too high,&uot;&160;said Debra Renda, civil defense director for Catahoula Parish.

Catahoula Parish sheriff’s deputies had to evacuate eight people from their house on Ratcliff Road Saturday afternoon because the road was expected to become impassable, Renda said.

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Other flooded roads included Doty, Big A Plenty, Bingham and Rock roads and the area around Lake Louie.

The Red Cross set up a shelter for people displaced from their homes, but as of 7 p.m. Saturday, no one had shown up, Renda said. The shelter is at Sandy Lake Pentecostal Church on Louisiana 126 north of Jonesville

But most of the flood waters that affected Catahoula Parish fell Thursday night and Friday afternoon.

More than 10 inches of rain fell there on those days, but only 1.5 more inches of rain fell in the 24 hours ending at 6 p.m. Saturday.

And elsewhere in the Miss-Lou, no further storm damage was reported.

&uot;We’ve gotten 6.91 inches of rain since Friday, according to the gauge we have here,&uot; said Adams County Civil Defense Director George Souderes, speaking from his office.

&uot;Still, we haven’t had any more reports of damage (Saturday).&uot;

In Concordia Parish, where flood waters rose to about 7 inches in some places after rains on Thursday and Friday, most standing water had receded greatly by Saturday afternoon.

Along Louisiana 15 near U.S. 84 in Ferriday, a few people worked Saturday afternoon to remove rugs and other water-logged items from their houses and clean up the muddy water that remained.

&uot;We’ve been mopping up water in the kitchen and bedrooms today,&uot; said Linda Washington, who lives on Louisiana 15.

&uot;But (town and parish crews) pumped up a lot of the water from this area yesterday, and that’s helped.&uot;

Clouds will decrease today and tonight, and the next significant chance of rain will be on Thursday, according to the National Weather Service in Jackson.