NEW ORLEANS — With two storms headed to the Gulf Coast, Trishan Charles said she was a bit concerned about her home in Destrehan, a neighborhood known for recent flooding.
“I know it may not be a direct hit to us, but we’re in the middle of it. I’m really concerned about the drainage and the flooding — again, repeating what we’ve just been through,” Charles said.
WWL first met Charles and her husband in May when their home, among many in their neighborhood, flooded after a storm dropped a lot of rain in a short amount of time. Drainage systems couldn’t keep up, leaving two feet of water inside their home.
“If it rains here for a half-hour or an hour, it gets flooded,” said contractor William Grant who is working to get Charles’ home back together. “In this area, we got three jobs so far.”
Grant said this neighborhood keeps him busy because of flood damage, and given the drainage problems, he worries about what two storms will do to the area.
“It can bring a lot of rain, and there’s a lot of homeowners in this area who have been coming out of their pocket. Honestly, they don’t have any money. Their resources are gone,” Grant said.
As concerns of flooding linger, there is infrastructure work happening as parish leaders work on masterplans for both drainage and sewage. With storms on the way, the parish is offering sandbags.
Charles and her husband made their own and hope the progress on their home doesn’t get washed away.
“It’s been slow and overwhelming, but I know it’s coming along pretty good,” Charles said.
Charles said she believes the drainage problems will be fixed eventually, but like her contractor, every time it rains, she worries.
“Especially with these storms, I don’t know what’s going to happen with the project we got here already,” said Grant.
► Get breaking news from your neighborhood delivered directly to you by downloading the FREE WWL-TV News app now in the IOS App Store or Google Play.
► Get breaking news from your neighborhood delivered directly to you by downloading the FREE WWL-TV News app now in the IOS App Store or Google Play.