WELSH — It was a familiar sight Thursday as residents scrambled to flee their homes and salvage their belongings as rising floodwaters threatened nearly 20 homes.
“We just moved back in on March 15 from the August flooding, and we’re having to leave again,” Betty Baker said.
Baker and her sister, who live at 803 West South St., were among the many Welsh residents affected by flooding in August. On Thursday, many of those same residents awoke to find their homes flooding again.
The house was built by their father in the 1960s.
“It flooded in 1980, and we had 5 to 6 feet of water up to the snack bar,” Baker said. “In August we had 21⁄2 feet, and we’re looking at that again.”
Baker said most of the furniture and appliances — many replaced since the last flood — are damaged. Drywall placed in the home after the August flooding will have to be replaced, she said.
“Everything’s going to have to be redone again,” she said. “I never thought we’d have to do this so soon.”
From 1980 to 2016 the home only flooded once. It has now flooded twice in just a matter of months. “We figured we’d have another 30 years before it flooded again, and we’d both be gone by that time,” Baker said.
Water started seeping into the house late Wednesday, but Baker and her sister, Sandra Langley, spent the night there. Baker slept in a recliner.
“We could hear the water coming in and trash hitting the house,” she said.
On Thursday morning they were rescued by boat as floodwaters continued to rise. They returned a few hours later to try to get some things out of the home and check on their brother, who lived next door.
Fire Chief John Hall said a dozen homes were flooded and eight others were on the verge of flooding as of 3 p.m. Thursday. Several streets remained closed.
The flooded areas included South Street near Littell, Sarah Street, Polk Street, Benoit Street and Dautel Street. Flooding was also reported in the middle of town along East Lacassine Bayou and in East Ridge Cemetery.
Jeremy Morvant, a reserve officer, was keeping an eye on the rising water by his mother-in-law’s home near Polk and Sarah streets. By midmorning, water was starting to enter the home, which was still being repaired from flood damage in August.
Morvant said another family had just moved back into a home on Sarah Street in the last two weeks following flood damage in August. “The paint was still wet,” he said.
Another home on South Sarah Street severely damaged by the August floods had 3 inches of water. The family had not be able to return home yet after the last flood, he said.
Police Chief Marcus Crochet said four people were removed from their homes by boat Thursday morning on West South Street. They all had a safe place to go, he said.
“There’s at least a foot of water in some places,” he said. “We have people trapped in their homes by the floodwaters and have been checking on them.”
Members of the Welsh fire and police departments provided rescue and medical services to residents stranded in their homes.
Crochet said the water began rising Wednesday afternoon as heavy rains saturated the area. The water remained high through Thursday.
“People need to watch the water and if they have any concerns or questions they need to contact the Police Department,” he said.
He urged sightseers to avoid the areas to keep from pushing water into the homes.
“We ask that people be courteous and respectful to the people that have water in their homes, or where it is threatening to come into their homes,” Crochet said.
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