Special to the American Press=

Hurricane Laura was not kind to the city of Lake Charles and the Calcasieu Parish Public Library was one of many local service establishments that did not escape unharmed.

The Epps Memorial Library building, located at 1320 N. Simmons St., may look fine from the street, but looks can be deceiving.  A closer inspection shows a massive hole in the roof and wall, ceiling, and flooring surfaces removed due to moisture damage.

The damage was so significant that officials deemed the building a total loss.

Library officials, however, hope the rebuilding process will soon be underway.

“Once FEMA officially approves the whole project we will move forward with the demolition and rebuilding process,” mentioned Christy Comeaux, the library’s Public Information Officer.  “We know our patrons have had many questions about the rebuilding schedule, but rest assured we will be rebuilding the Epps Memorial Library at the N. Simmons Street location.”

The new state-of-the-art library branch will include many new features and additions.

Comeaux added, “The Library is an integral part of North Lake Charles, and many citizens depend on the services that it provides.  To keep those services available during the reconstruction process, we opened a temporary location at 1200 North Martin Luther King Highway and just recently expanded the hours at the temporary location.”

The new hours are 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Friday. Monday.

Library officials mentioned that they will keep citizens up to date on the project, especially when construction begins.

“The best way to stay up-to-date is to log on to our website at www.calcasieulibrary.org or follow the library on social media,” Comeaux added.