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This fund has been created to support the critical needs of Harry & Mary Jane Boudreaux (my parents) and Dominic & Eve Boudreaux (my brother and my sister-in-law). Like so many that are suffering in our great state of Louisiana, their homes were destroyed in the recent historic flooding. While we know nothing is more important than our family and their safety, it is heartbreaking to see the devastation and begin the daunting task of starting over completely.
The waterline in my parents’ home is above my head at about 5 ½ feet. My brother's is about 4 feet. Teens are describing the scenes in the neighborhoods as looking like a zombie apocalypse. There are abandoned cars in roads and yards that floated in the rushing waters.
Dominic is a talented musician and has lost his guitars, sound equipment, TV, furniture, appliances, etc. The heirloom baby crib that he and Eve have been hoping to fill soon is unsalvageable. Dad's minivan was flooded to the roof and his man cave looks like a landfill. When we got to my parents’ home we had to break the bottom of the door open since the wood floors had buckled so much that we were not able to swing open the door. All of the refrigerators and freezers in both homes were turned on their sides. No food could be salvaged. Things were strewn about in rooms all over the place, with furniture landing in rooms different than where it usually sits. Most family photos are saturated but we are trying to dry them out. Most clothes were saturated also, but we have multiple households helping to wash loads of laundry to save what we can.
This nightmare all started on the evening of Friday, August 12th. Here is our family’s story through the last 5 days of horror.
Friday: The rain started. Schools closed. I went to work. Dad called me late morning and said as safe measure based on the last big flood in 1983 when the house they are in flooded (they didn’t live there at the time), they were packing some things and coming to stay with us to ride it out. I told him to call me if they needed help. We talked again in the early afternoon and I decided we needed to get over there with extra bricks I had and help them raise their furniture. We propped up and picked up as much as we could, hoping it wouldn’t happen, or at least wouldn’t be more than a foot of water. The roads started pooling with water. The rain continued. We kept a close eye on the news and prayed for protection of their home.
Saturday: Made an early run to the grocery store for supplies to last for all of us for several days. The lines were long and people were receiving phone calls and breaking into tears right there in the store. The bad news started to spread all over the city. Overwhelming. We watched and waited as it rained incessantly. No lightning or thunder, just constant, continuous rain all day. I received this text message from my boss, “I saw Annabel at Winn Dixie, as I was walking out, with your mom. Good kid u have as she was telling your mom things were going to be ok as your mom had tears rolling down her face. She was telling her we can fix your house and it will be good with a smile on her face and her arms around her. Good example of a person doing the right thing (Annabel). Mom and dad had to do something right for that to happen!!” Apparently that was going on while I was still shopping inside. We had dinner at my house with neighborhood friends. Dad received a picture from his neighbor of Mom and Dad’s flooded house surrounded by water. Tears ensued. Dominic had been at work and had checked on his home at 5pm and all was high and dry. He and Eve hung out with us for the evening and they decided to check on Mom’s house on the way home about 11pm to see if they could get in there and do anything. No luck – everything barricaded and no way into the subdivision. They headed to their house and were shocked they couldn’t get there either. They finally abandoned their car about 7 blocks from their house and walked in water as high as their chest in some parts to get to their house, which was one of the few still dry. Water was at the sidewalk in front and creeping close in the back. They rescued their dog and a few personal items and were wondering how they could get out with the rising water. Then, along came a canoe paddled by a Spanish-speaking neighbor whose home had already flooded. Dominic managed to communicate with the guy well enough (we took French in school!) to get Eve and the dog and belongings in the boat, and he walked in parallel to them but closer to the houses where the water was not as deep. He passed a frightened family on the way out and guided them out the neighborhood as well with a dying flashlight and his phone raised above his head as they trudged through the water. Eve and Dominic keep in contact along the way “marco polo style” … calling out to each other to be sure they were still both headed in the same direction. The canoe captain was a blessing, although not the best at steering; Eve’s back was pushed up against a mailbox at one point. Finally, they all made it out and by the time they returned to the car it was almost taking on water. They returned here about 1:30am, got hot showers and bathed the dog. Safe! We got every person and animal to bed by 3am and were so thankful to be together.
Sunday: The sun appeared. Amite River crested. Back flow surge severely impacted the areas where my parents and brother live. Dad received an update from a neighbor that their house had a least a couple more feet of water in it. It rained off and on here. The flooding areas were too dangerous to try to access, so we watched on the news as the water continued to pour into Baton Rouge. Many, many rescue efforts by officials and volunteers were underway in these areas. AT&T (our cell phone carrier) substation flooded; no cell service available for any of us. Communication was available through wifi on some newer iPhones and phones serviced by other carriers. Mom and Dad moved into my best friend Ashley’s house (aka Lucas Haus) down the street in our neighborhood so that we are situated a little more comfortably with Dominic and Eve and pets in my house (aka Chateau Warrington). Another good friend from church/school offered to come get Annabel for a break in the stir-craziness here, but Highland Road was already impassible between our homes. We tried to watch a movie together in the outdoor kitchen, but most of us just stayed on our phones keeping touch with friends and family. More friends were evacuating in more places. Interstates closed.
Monday: My house and neighborhood still dry and safe. The weather is overcast. The local news showed a boat tour of Dominic & Eve’s neighborhood. On most streets, cars are almost completely submerged. Mailboxes are covered. You can still see the stop signs, but not the posts. We are trying to ascertain when and how we can get out to survey the damage to their homes and see if there is anything to salvage; the waiting is difficult. The main road (Highland Road – ironically) at the entrance to my subdivision is blocked in one direction due to river flooding. The water started rising there yesterday evening. In the other direction we can get down the road a couple of miles, but then run into impassible areas and barricades due to high water. Water is beginning to recede in some areas but still rising significantly in others. My house is across town from where my parents and brother live. The water is EVERYWHERE. All around us. We saw an aerial camera video of my parents’ street on the news; very, very high water, maybe actually to the ceiling. Schools are closed indefinitely. We are blessed to be here, dry, together.
Tuesday: Today is the day we have been dreading. The water has receded in my parents’ and brother’s areas, so we caravanned with friend and family to face the music. #BoudreauxBattalion! When we got to my parents’ home we had to break the bottom of the door open since the wood floors had buckled so much that we were not able to swing open the door. All of the refrigerators and freezers in both homes were turned on their sides. No food could be salvaged. Things were strewn about in rooms all over the place, with furniture landing in rooms different than where it usually sits. Most family photos and clothes are saturated. We worked nonstop at the houses until about 4p, then spent the next 3 hours unloading and sorting the clothes and pictures at our house and others’. Our good family friends, Karin & Roger, hosted a wonderful meal to nourish our bodies and feed our souls. Home by 10pm curfew that was just instated in our parish due to vandals who are looting in some areas.
My parents are the kind of people that love to love everyone, and everyone loves them back. Dad is always up for a good time or a good hug, and Mom is always bringing Jesus to everyone she encounters. They have already endured 2 other floods in my lifetime. This one is by far the worst. The severity of this loss is hard to even comprehend.
You could not ask for more helpful, caring people than Dominic and Eve. Family is first, but they rarely have free time to relax because they are always heavily involved in helping their fellow humans and the community at large. As a glowing example, they basically risked their lives to save their dog and others in need as the waters were rising in their subdivision. They do not have full insurance coverage for this unprecedented catastrophe.
Thank you for praying for them and for donating funds if you are able. Every little bit helps. There is so much to do. They are starting at ground zero and will work their way back to wholeness and recovery, but it is a very long road ahead. Keep the faith. #BoudreauxBattalion
The waterline in my parents’ home is above my head at about 5 ½ feet. My brother's is about 4 feet. Teens are describing the scenes in the neighborhoods as looking like a zombie apocalypse. There are abandoned cars in roads and yards that floated in the rushing waters.
Dominic is a talented musician and has lost his guitars, sound equipment, TV, furniture, appliances, etc. The heirloom baby crib that he and Eve have been hoping to fill soon is unsalvageable. Dad's minivan was flooded to the roof and his man cave looks like a landfill. When we got to my parents’ home we had to break the bottom of the door open since the wood floors had buckled so much that we were not able to swing open the door. All of the refrigerators and freezers in both homes were turned on their sides. No food could be salvaged. Things were strewn about in rooms all over the place, with furniture landing in rooms different than where it usually sits. Most family photos are saturated but we are trying to dry them out. Most clothes were saturated also, but we have multiple households helping to wash loads of laundry to save what we can.
This nightmare all started on the evening of Friday, August 12th. Here is our family’s story through the last 5 days of horror.
Friday: The rain started. Schools closed. I went to work. Dad called me late morning and said as safe measure based on the last big flood in 1983 when the house they are in flooded (they didn’t live there at the time), they were packing some things and coming to stay with us to ride it out. I told him to call me if they needed help. We talked again in the early afternoon and I decided we needed to get over there with extra bricks I had and help them raise their furniture. We propped up and picked up as much as we could, hoping it wouldn’t happen, or at least wouldn’t be more than a foot of water. The roads started pooling with water. The rain continued. We kept a close eye on the news and prayed for protection of their home.
Saturday: Made an early run to the grocery store for supplies to last for all of us for several days. The lines were long and people were receiving phone calls and breaking into tears right there in the store. The bad news started to spread all over the city. Overwhelming. We watched and waited as it rained incessantly. No lightning or thunder, just constant, continuous rain all day. I received this text message from my boss, “I saw Annabel at Winn Dixie, as I was walking out, with your mom. Good kid u have as she was telling your mom things were going to be ok as your mom had tears rolling down her face. She was telling her we can fix your house and it will be good with a smile on her face and her arms around her. Good example of a person doing the right thing (Annabel). Mom and dad had to do something right for that to happen!!” Apparently that was going on while I was still shopping inside. We had dinner at my house with neighborhood friends. Dad received a picture from his neighbor of Mom and Dad’s flooded house surrounded by water. Tears ensued. Dominic had been at work and had checked on his home at 5pm and all was high and dry. He and Eve hung out with us for the evening and they decided to check on Mom’s house on the way home about 11pm to see if they could get in there and do anything. No luck – everything barricaded and no way into the subdivision. They headed to their house and were shocked they couldn’t get there either. They finally abandoned their car about 7 blocks from their house and walked in water as high as their chest in some parts to get to their house, which was one of the few still dry. Water was at the sidewalk in front and creeping close in the back. They rescued their dog and a few personal items and were wondering how they could get out with the rising water. Then, along came a canoe paddled by a Spanish-speaking neighbor whose home had already flooded. Dominic managed to communicate with the guy well enough (we took French in school!) to get Eve and the dog and belongings in the boat, and he walked in parallel to them but closer to the houses where the water was not as deep. He passed a frightened family on the way out and guided them out the neighborhood as well with a dying flashlight and his phone raised above his head as they trudged through the water. Eve and Dominic keep in contact along the way “marco polo style” … calling out to each other to be sure they were still both headed in the same direction. The canoe captain was a blessing, although not the best at steering; Eve’s back was pushed up against a mailbox at one point. Finally, they all made it out and by the time they returned to the car it was almost taking on water. They returned here about 1:30am, got hot showers and bathed the dog. Safe! We got every person and animal to bed by 3am and were so thankful to be together.
Sunday: The sun appeared. Amite River crested. Back flow surge severely impacted the areas where my parents and brother live. Dad received an update from a neighbor that their house had a least a couple more feet of water in it. It rained off and on here. The flooding areas were too dangerous to try to access, so we watched on the news as the water continued to pour into Baton Rouge. Many, many rescue efforts by officials and volunteers were underway in these areas. AT&T (our cell phone carrier) substation flooded; no cell service available for any of us. Communication was available through wifi on some newer iPhones and phones serviced by other carriers. Mom and Dad moved into my best friend Ashley’s house (aka Lucas Haus) down the street in our neighborhood so that we are situated a little more comfortably with Dominic and Eve and pets in my house (aka Chateau Warrington). Another good friend from church/school offered to come get Annabel for a break in the stir-craziness here, but Highland Road was already impassible between our homes. We tried to watch a movie together in the outdoor kitchen, but most of us just stayed on our phones keeping touch with friends and family. More friends were evacuating in more places. Interstates closed.
Monday: My house and neighborhood still dry and safe. The weather is overcast. The local news showed a boat tour of Dominic & Eve’s neighborhood. On most streets, cars are almost completely submerged. Mailboxes are covered. You can still see the stop signs, but not the posts. We are trying to ascertain when and how we can get out to survey the damage to their homes and see if there is anything to salvage; the waiting is difficult. The main road (Highland Road – ironically) at the entrance to my subdivision is blocked in one direction due to river flooding. The water started rising there yesterday evening. In the other direction we can get down the road a couple of miles, but then run into impassible areas and barricades due to high water. Water is beginning to recede in some areas but still rising significantly in others. My house is across town from where my parents and brother live. The water is EVERYWHERE. All around us. We saw an aerial camera video of my parents’ street on the news; very, very high water, maybe actually to the ceiling. Schools are closed indefinitely. We are blessed to be here, dry, together.
Tuesday: Today is the day we have been dreading. The water has receded in my parents’ and brother’s areas, so we caravanned with friend and family to face the music. #BoudreauxBattalion! When we got to my parents’ home we had to break the bottom of the door open since the wood floors had buckled so much that we were not able to swing open the door. All of the refrigerators and freezers in both homes were turned on their sides. No food could be salvaged. Things were strewn about in rooms all over the place, with furniture landing in rooms different than where it usually sits. Most family photos and clothes are saturated. We worked nonstop at the houses until about 4p, then spent the next 3 hours unloading and sorting the clothes and pictures at our house and others’. Our good family friends, Karin & Roger, hosted a wonderful meal to nourish our bodies and feed our souls. Home by 10pm curfew that was just instated in our parish due to vandals who are looting in some areas.
My parents are the kind of people that love to love everyone, and everyone loves them back. Dad is always up for a good time or a good hug, and Mom is always bringing Jesus to everyone she encounters. They have already endured 2 other floods in my lifetime. This one is by far the worst. The severity of this loss is hard to even comprehend.
You could not ask for more helpful, caring people than Dominic and Eve. Family is first, but they rarely have free time to relax because they are always heavily involved in helping their fellow humans and the community at large. As a glowing example, they basically risked their lives to save their dog and others in need as the waters were rising in their subdivision. They do not have full insurance coverage for this unprecedented catastrophe.
Thank you for praying for them and for donating funds if you are able. Every little bit helps. There is so much to do. They are starting at ground zero and will work their way back to wholeness and recovery, but it is a very long road ahead. Keep the faith. #BoudreauxBattalion
Organizer and beneficiary
Mary Boudreaux
Beneficiary