Is it true that the Terrace flooded in Lake Charles because they didn’t have any diesel fuel to open the floodgate? If so, why weren’t they prepared?

Miles Lyons, superintendent of Ward 3 Gravity Drainage District 4, said the floodgates — positioned where Kayouche Coulee meets English Bayou — run on electricity.

“Our floodgates are not dependent on fuel until the power goes out and the generator kicks on — a scenario that never took place,” Lyons said in an email.

“If it were to take place, we would have had enough fuel to run the generator for more than a week.”

He said officials had fuel delivered twice to three reserve tanks while Tropical Storm Harvey dumped rain on the area and that two other tanks were already full.

Lyons said the district opened the floodgates at 3:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 28, and closed them at noon Tuesday, Aug. 29.

“We open the floodgates when English Bayou water levels are lower than Kayouche Coulee water levels,” he said.

“Due to the extreme amount of rain and the size of that watershed, the gates had to stay open for a long time to see a positive impact (water levels drop) in the watershed.”

National Weather Service radar estimates show that over 12 inches of rain fell in the Greenwich Terrace area during Harvey’s pass through the Southwest Louisiana.

Kayouche Coulee drains a huge section of east Lake Charles, including Oak Park, the Terrace and areas northward along La. 14.

 

Placement of mulch delayed by rain

The playground at the Fairview school was to be mulched during the summer. The task was not done.

Because of that, the children were not able to play on the playground, and had to stay inside for recess.

Why was the mulching not completed before school started?

“Installing mulch is usually done during the summer by a contractor,” Holly Holland, spokeswoman for the Calcasieu Parish school system, wrote in an email.

“Due to the rainy summer that we had, the contractor was unable to put the mulch in the playground area without causing damage to the area around the playground and to the playground itself.

“We are steadily installing mulch during the current dry weather.”

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For more info: www.cpsb.org.

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The Informer answers questions from readers each Sunday, Monday and Wednesday. It is researched and written by Andrew Perzo, an American Press staff writer. To ask a question, call 494-4098 and leave voice mail, or email informer@americanpress.com.