(Updated) Officials report on Avoca Island, Bayou Chene

STEPHENSVILLE — Residents gathered at Stephensville Elementary Monday night to hear the latest “Winter Flood of 2016” updates from government officials.

One of the major areas of focus for the public was Bayou Chene and its use as a flood barrier.

“For us it stops the backwater from flooding,” said Terry Guidry, Director of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness Office in St. Martin Parish. “We’re not prone (to flooding) on the protected side of the levee and it stops the water from backing up on us.

“That’s the biggest thing it does for us. Without that, we have to do a lot more sandbagging and additional work to keep us high and dry.”

Based on the 2011 flood experience, dropping a barge in Bayou Chene provides a difference of 3 to 4 feet on the barge, said Guidry.

A barge was set in place Monday, said St. Mary Parish Levee District Operations Manager Mike Brocato Jr.

Eight large pipes hold the barge in place, while the barge holds the sheet piling that actually blocks the water.

Last night, “they started driving sheets,” Brocato said. “So they’re going to start to close that canal off completely.”

On Avoca Island, the National Guard has been working since Friday with HESCO baskets.

With water flowing over the island for two days, the water is “really low” on the south end of the island.

“We finally got it sealed up,” Brocato said.

The National Guard has set approximately 3 miles of HESCO baskets.

“Getting this set up from this area to the island is a nightmare,” said Brocato. “The conditions are terrible.

“The National Guard has been out there 24/7 for the past three days. We definitely thank those guys.

“They’re now in hip boots working in some of the nastiest conditions we’ve ever seen.”

The levee district is using the existing wing logs left in 2011, which was left there just in case.

St. Martin Parish President Guy Cormier expressed his appreciation for the efforts of St. Mary Parish Levee District.

“St. Mary Parish Levee District is absolutely incredible to work with,” Cormier said. “You know, just this one event, they had to make a decision last week whether they were going to do this project not knowing if the president was going to sign a federal declaration for Louisiana.

“Just what they’re doing right now, you’re looking at $6 million.”

A federal declaration would clear the way for reimbursement of 75 percent of expenses.

“But the levee district didn’t even wait around to see if they would get the declaration signed or not,” Cormier said. “They just started the project, knowing that there was a possibility that they would be out $6 million.”