The Great Flood of 2016

On the morning of August 12, 2016, I found out that school had been cancelled due to heavy rain and high water in some areas around the city. I assumed that it would be just like any other rainy day. No one knew what was to come in the following days. The rain continued to fall, streets were covered with water, and ditches were filling up fast. Houses were beginning to take on water and everyone was getting a little scared. We found out that schools were starting to flood, too. My mom, a teacher, was concerned about her classroom. My family stayed up late into the night watching the water move down the street and into the yard. As the water crept up our driveway, I started to get a little nervous. The next afternoon, the floodwaters in my neighborhood began to recede. Out of about 150 houses in my neighborhood, only around 50 did not flood.

Although my house didn’t get any water, many people I’m close to lost everything. My great-grandmother, aunt, and a few of my friends’ homes flooded. Both of the schools my mom works at flooded as well. My junior high flooded, along with my younger siblings’ elementary school. Most of Denham Springs went under water for a few days. So many people lost all of their possessions. Driving around town after the flood was heartbreaking because everywhere you looked, you saw devastation and destruction. Everyone worked together to help each other recover and rebuild. People from other states even donated their time, money, and resources to help us get through this terrible time. Over a year later, some families still aren’t back in their homes and some students are still in temporary schools while they wait for things to be rebuilt.  South Louisiana is still recovering from the Great Flood of 2016. This flood truly was one for the record books.

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