Flooding in southern Louisiana is inevitable. Mom and Dad were told we didn't need flood insurance when they bought the house, so they didn't bother. Money had been tight with all of the moving and the changing of jobs, so they had to cut a little somewhere. Jack and I loved our new yard. At times when it would rain hard, there would be a big puddle on the south side of our house, and Mom would let me go in it to get my frisbee, but I never thought it would be bad here.
Aug. 2008 hurricane Gustav came to visit us. Mom and Dad were trying to figure out what they were going to do. mom was going to go to Texas and Dad wanted to stay. Mom just couldn't leave Dad, so we went to a friends house. 6 adults, 4 kids, and 2 adults in a small house, but it was fun. 
The kids kept me sane from all of the noises outside, and Dad stayed out in the garage with the guys and Mom and the ladies played cards and did puzzles. The next day after the hurricane passed, we went home. Everything looked fine. The ditches had water in them, but we weren't too worried. Then the rain came..... the water rose 2 feet in 4 hours. It happened so fast, that there was not much we could do. 
The cars were parked up on an incline in the yard, and Mom and Dad loaded us up in the truck and we went to stay with more friends. The water didn't get into the house which we are all grateful for, but it was an eye opener. 
Our house is built on pillars and it is about 2 - 3 feet off the ground if not more. It looks like a boat house!!!The kids kept me sane from all of the noises outside, and Dad stayed out in the garage with the guys and Mom and the ladies played cards and did puzzles. The next day after the hurricane passed, we went home. Everything looked fine. The ditches had water in them, but we weren't too worried. Then the rain came..... the water rose 2 feet in 4 hours. It happened so fast, that there was not much we could do. The cars were parked up on an incline in the yard, and Mom and Dad loaded us up in the truck and we went to stay with more friends. The water didn't get into the house which we are all grateful for, but it was an eye opener. Mom had just got flood insurance at the end of March, and the same weekend she had called in to get it, we had a hard rain, that happened through the night. The thunder was so hard, that it shook the house. As we woke up, the water had gotten up to 6 inches under the car port, but was gone by the time we had looked outside. 
The mud and sugar cane stalks were all over. 
It had been enough. Dad stayed home and cleaned up his shop and the car port, but we had enough. That rain shouldn't have flooded us that easily, so we contacted our Parish (county) councilman and they came out this afternoon and cut down the brush in the ditches. Hopefully this will help keep the water flowing, so we don't have anymore trouble. At least for a simple rain.
The mud and sugar cane stalks were all over. It had been enough. Dad stayed home and cleaned up his shop and the car port, but we had enough. That rain shouldn't have flooded us that easily, so we contacted our Parish (county) councilman and they came out this afternoon and cut down the brush in the ditches. Hopefully this will help keep the water flowing, so we don't have anymore trouble. At least for a simple rain.
