DESTREHAN, La. — Some Destrehan residents are cleaning up after their homes flooded for the third time in less than two years Sunday. Signs reading 'Stop Our Flooding' are now marked with water lines up and down Ormond Blvd.
"I came outside and I saw it and I realized, wait a minute, this can't be happening again, this can't be happening again," said Darren Vinnett who lives on Ormond Blvd.
He was in the process of fixing up his home from a flood seven weeks ago, when water crept back in again Sunday afternoon.
"Brand new baseboard and brand new rug," Vinnett said about the pile of items he is now throwing away.
"Third time in less than two years," he said having also flooded in December 2018.
According to St. Charles Parish President Matthew Jewell, at least seven inches of rain fell in less than an hour.
"Another one of these cells that just sat on top of us and dumped a massive amount of rain in a very short period of time," Jewell said.
Streets flooded all across the parish and at least nine homes took in water.
"It's more than just a lot of rain in a short period of time. They've got to do something to improve the drainage system," said Tracy Naquin.
According to Jewell, a big part of the problem is railroad tracks crossing Ormond Blvd that act almost as a levee, keeping the water from draining from these streets.
"My administration, after the last flood, identified eight projects that we're going to be working on. One of those is up-sizing those culverts underneath the railroad, others involve widening canals," Jewell said.
Monday night, the council is set to discuss a moratorium that would stop future construction of new sudvisions until its proven they wont affect drainage.
"We have to be serious about this," Jewell said.
"We can not seem to get action fast enough for us to continue living here, that's how bad, people are talking about moving out," said Watler Pilie who has been fighting for a solution. "The urgency, I can't say it enough, the urgency is let's do it now, let's not wait any further, let's get whatever permits we have to and let's get the construction to get this water out of here."
