Diamondhead Subdivision Homeowner Dodges The Flooding Bullet

All day Wednesday into Thursday was a very tense time for homeowner Jerry Duhon and his wife. He was hoping that what happened to him in August 2016 wouldn't happen again.

When torrential rains poured over Acadiana last year, hundreds of people were left to clean out their homes and try to pick up their lives as best they could.

His house, in the Diamonhead Subdivision, flooded in August 2016, and he was afraid it was about to happen again.

People kept driving on his street, looking around, and he was worried his home would flood again.

When he called the Sheriff's Office, they told him they couldn't put out barricades because people needed to get to their homes. Duhon understands that, but it was the other people, 'sightseeing', that was also a problem. He got wooden saw horses, and he made his own barricade.

Duhon says some water did end up seeping into two rooms into the back of his house, but without the rain stopping and his barricade, it would have been a lot worse.

The Duhon's still aren't even finished with the repair work from the August flood. They have been living in a 500 square foot apartment as the work is being completed.

Duhon says while his home is okay, one of his neighbors was not so lucky. He says back in August his neighbor got five inches of water in his home, and this time, his neighbor's home received two to three inches of water.

Duhon says he had flood insurance before last year's storm, and again this year. He says while he only had insurance for the structure of his home last year, he now carries structure and content flood insurance.

Louisiana's Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon says that only 19.5% of people in Lafayette Parish have flood insurance. He hopes that can change.

As for Jerry Duhon, he says he is relieved that only a little water seeped in, but it's not going to stop him from being busy. Jerry, just like his neighbors did in August of last year, have been helping and will continue to help each other pick up after this latest damage.

And Jerry will be around trying to stop people from forcing more water into his home.