<p class="p1">Motorists drive across the Hopewell Bridge in Dry Creek as heavy rains from Wednesday, March 28, 2018 brought Bundick Lake to a major flood stage. (Pamela Sleezer / American Press)</p>

Pamela SleezerBeauregard and Vernon Parish Reporter psleezer@americanpress.com
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<p class="p1">A heavy rain incident Wednesday night put Beauregard Parish officials and residents on high alert Thursday as water levels forced the closure of dozens of parish roads.

<p class="p1">In Dry Creek, school district officials were forced to end classes early at East Beauregard Elementary and high school, with students dismissed at 11:45 Thursday morning.

<p class="p1">Superintendent Timothy Cooley said that the closure was in response to rising water levels at Bundick Lake, where authorities had already begun to open the lake’s drawdown gate.

<p class="p1">Local Director of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness Glen Mears said that the lake was expected to crest at 101.5 feet, major flood stage, but it was not immediately clear when that crest event would occur.

<p class="p1"> “All creeks, streams, rivers and lakes are at full capacity, so residents need to be watchful for water to continue to rise over the next several days,” Mears stated.

<p class="p1">For much of the day, Beauregard Parish deputies maintained a post at mile marker 32 of U.S. 171, between DeRidder and Longville, where they redirected all traffic to turn around as waters crossed both the highway’s southbound lanes.

<p class="p1"> At least two bridges were reported to have collapsed from the heavy rains, but officials said that they could not confirm those reports until waters subsided.

<p class="p1"> “We received a call that the Memorial Church Road bridge was crumbling, but the water is too high for deputies to determine the extent of the damage at this time. The road will continue to be closed until further notice,” Beauregard Parish Chief Detective Mark Herford stated.

<p class="p1"> Another bridge at Mame Johnson Road was also reported to have been completely washed out.

<p class="p1"> As of Thursday evening, Herford said that there had been no calls of any residents being trapped by the high waters or needing emergency rescue.

<p class="p1"> In DeRidder, the heavy rains combined with the high winds seem to be the culprit behind a significant amount of damage to the front of the town’s Wal-Mart, where a section of the store’s north entrance overhang collapsed during the night. Store officials say that no one was injured from the incident.