As the rain stops, the skies clear and the water recedes it is such a relief for southeastern Louisiana. I was fortunate enough to stay in an area of Baton Rouge that was not effected by the flood, but I was on edge from the time rain began to fall simply because we all fear the unknown. Neighborhood’s from Baton Rouge to Livingston were completely crushed with rainfall requiring over 20,000 individuals to be rescued from their homes or cars. There were also over 50,000 businesses and homes under water in the area. Rainfall over southern Louisiana has equated to more than 4 trillion gallons of water, this would fill over 6 million Olympic-size swimming pools. Alerts were sent out too as a voluntary evacuation at first, which soon became mandatory. It was truly heart wrenching to pack up your belongings and move from the very place you call home, understanding that there is a possibility that there would not be much of anything to salvage once you were able to come back. I had friends who had to wait on the roofs of their homes to be rescued, unaware of where their loved ones were just hoping for the best. Two different women whose water broke, with her eleven year old son having to assist her until help came because they were trapped in their home. In south Louisiana, much of the flooding centered on communities near Amite and Comite rivers which merge east of Baton Rouge. A common issue with many residents is they were completely caught off guard by how quick the water rose. It broke my heart to hear a woman say she lost everything in hurricane Katrina, just to lose everything once again in The Great Flood.
The aftermath is not and will not be pretty, but I have seen family, friends and complete strangers come together in such a trying time. As broken as this world has been lately, it’s good to see a little humanity though I hate that it had to be under these circumstances. The unity is so strong and Louisiana still stands unbroken, I know it won’t be long before this state shakes back.
“When you go through deep waters, I will be with you.” -Isaiah 43:2
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