OAKDALE, La. (KALB) – An Oakdale family has loudly expressed their frustration with city officials over drainage issues. This follows severe flooding in Oakdale following last Saturday’s rainfall.

The family said they are beyond frustrated with city officials over what they called an unwillingness to fix a drainage system that has plagued their town for years.

Mary West has lived in her Oakdale home for 32 years. She says that shortly after midnight Sunday morning, she decided to stop scrolling on the computer and head to her room.

“When I walked into my den, I could feel the carpet was wet,” West said. “And from about 12:30 to 3 p.m., the water started coming.”

West said she started moving her furniture to save it from the floodwaters. However, amid the chaos, West said she couldn’t help but worry about her neighbors.

“We have about 13 houses on this street and about nine of them house elderly women,” West said. “They live alone and (when) the floods started, they had no way of getting help. »

Among the seniors is West’s mother, Joann Perkins, who lives next door.

“I was shocked when I put my feet on the ground, but I was also scared,” Perkins recalled. “I was scared…(I) still had stuff plugged in and I didn’t know how deep the water was…I said, ‘Well, if it gets in the light sockets…I might be electrocuted.” »

Perkins said she remained on the bed until help arrived. According to her daughter, the water started receding from her house around 4:30 a.m. Sunday morning. West said the waters didn’t leave the streets until noon that day.

Oakdale’s official weather observing station measured rainfall totals of just over 4 inches in the town. However, precipitation accumulations can be very significant over short distances. According to Doppler radar, parts of Oakdale received about 11 inches of rain.

West said this isn’t the first time his home has flooded due to poor drainage.

She said her carpet and flooring were damaged by the flooding and were estimated to cost about $18,000 to replace.

West had planned to retire in three years, but said the financial burden made her consider delaying her retirement.

West said she was opting for porcelain floors because it would be easier to mop up the water. She said she had homeowners insurance, but because of rising rates, she couldn’t afford flood insurance.

“We just don’t have the money,” West said. “…The people on this street all have social security and fixed incomes. There’s no money for all this stuff.

The response from city officials, according to West, has been lackluster, to say the least.

“The officials don’t care,” West said. “…It’s not their homes that are flooded. They do not live in flooded areas. It’s us.

West’s son, Casey Tate, pointed out a number of problem areas that contribute to flooding in the neighborhood. According to Tate, there are several possible solutions and would like to see them implemented by the city.

“This canal goes around this neighborhood and from the hospital all the way to the back of the federal prison,” Tate said. “Look at all the debris. Nothing comes out of there, we just had all this rain. Nothing happens there. Everything has grown, everything needs to be cleaned.”

“All it would take is for someone to come here with a bucket, you know, a bulldozer or something. Scratch it, dig it a little deeper. This way it will catch the water, hold it and clean any brushes that fall into it.

“Every time it rains or there is a storm, trees fall there, trash falls there. Stop everything. All it’s going to do is put back into homes.

West said she contacted city officials and asked them to clean the canals and ravines near her home. She said they came to look but no action was taken.

KALB contacted Oakdale City Hall, but we were told no one was available to speak. According to West, shortly after KALB’s Jay McCully commented on her Facebook post about the flooding, she received a response from the city.

“After I sent the text and you responded, they finally got back to me, but before that I didn’t get any response,” West said. “I’m going to do what it takes to get help not only for me but for everyone on this street.”

West said she spoke with an elected official who offered to place a dumpster on the street so she and her older neighbors could throw out the ruined carpet.

“I can’t pick up 5-600 books and put them in a dumpster. We barely put the drugs on the road. And he said, “Oh, I don’t know if I can do anything about it.” I said, “Well, if you don’t have something to pick it up with, a dumpster won’t do us any good.”

On November 5, Oakdale elected David Vidrine as its new mayor. Vidrine spoke on the phone with our sister station and told them that solving the drainage problem would be a top priority for him when he takes office in January. Perkins said she hopes the new administration takes this issue seriously.

“Surely there will be a way for them to solve this problem where this wouldn’t happen, because there are a lot of people living here,” Perkins remarked. “I heard her say three or four times that she had experienced that. Well, I’m not reliving this three or four times. I can’t afford it.

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