Parts of Avoyelles received 20 inches of rain during Aug. 12-13 storm

    Heavy rains dumped up to 20 inches of rain on parts of Avoyelles Parish, flooding about 60 homes and businesses, Avoyelles Office of Emergency Preparedness Director Joey Frank said.

   A National Weather Service radar estimated the two-day rain  total to be at or more than 20 inches in parts of Marksville, Moreauville and Plaucheville. Frank said there may have been other areas that received 15 to 20 inches over the two-day period.

   There was no official evacuation order, no evacuation centers had to be opened in the parish and there was no need to rescue stranded families, Frank said. 

   “We missed a major flood disaster by miles,” he said. “Just a few miles south and west of the parish, those parishes experienced a major flooding event that will continue into this week.”

  After receiving heavy rainfall on Friday and early Saturday morning, Avoyelles was placed under a flash flood warning for most of Saturday. By Saturday evening, most of the water had receded from flooded buildings, but many bayous and drainage ditches were full.

   Areas of Simmesport and Marksville were the hardest hit, but there were also isolated reports of flooding in Bunkie, Moreauville, Mansura and Cottonport.

   High winds that accompanied the rainstorm left many limbs down across the parish, but caused no major problems, Frank said.

   Frank urged people to be careful traveling parish roads because of possible road and bridge damage from the high water. Parish officials inspected the roads and bridges Monday.

   The rain started Friday afternoon and continued until Saturday morning. Rain periodically fell during the day Saturday. By Monday, the skies had cleared. All schools were open on Monday.

   The most rain in the 24-hour period from 6 a.m. Friday to 6 a.m. Saturday was 12.6 inches in Marksville and 12.2 inches in Simmesport.

   Louis Coco, of KLIL Radio, reported 24-hour rainfall totals of 11.5 inches in Hamburg, 11.7 inches in Bayou Jacque, 10 inches in Cocoville, 7.7 inches in Eola and 7 inches in Bunkie. It was the largest amount of rain in Avoyelles Parish since Hurricane Gustav hit on Sept. 1, 2008, dumping 16 to 18 inches in the Bunkie area.

   Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries agents based in Avoyelles Parish left Sunday to help with search and rescue efforts in South Louisiana. Several Avoyelles Parish residents serving in the Louisiana National Guard were also called out to help with search and rescue. State social service employees in Avoyelles have also been assigned to serve in disaster relief centers and others have been placed on “stand-by” for such service in the coming weeks.