We are not getting flooded where I do my swamp tours, in fact the water is low as you can see below,
nor is my home threatened by flood, but for the last few weeks, everyone who calls me about doing a swamp tour asks if I am still in business.
Now I understand how the news media likes to show the worst case scenario, and that may appear to some people, to be representative of the big picture. It is not in this case representative of the big picture, we will not have wide spread flooding occurring here in south Louisiana.
You can call me at 337 298 2630 to make a reservation for my swamp tours if you like. I am open for business!
Just like after Hurricane Katrina flooded New Orleans and all the national media focus caused people to assume ALL of south Louisiana was flooded(when it wasn't), this flood of 2011 and the similar subsequent misleading media coverage is causing people to doubt coming to Cajun Country, and some are actually changing travel plans and avoiding south Louisiana, just to be safe.
And that is too bad, because we are gonna miss you, and you are gonna have to watch "Swamp People" on TV and wonder if we are for real.
Even if the towns of Butte la Rose, Melville, and Krotz Springs,(which are "in" the spillway)are flooded, the place where I do my swamp tours(which is NOT in the spillway),will not flood, nor will the restaurants, dance hall honky tonks, and about 99% of southwest Louisiana flood, because we are protected by very large and well designed, well maintained and functional levees to our east.
As you can see in the photo below the levee keeps the water contained in a wilderness area near town, but the "protected" areas are no where near threatened here in south Louisiana like they are in Tennesse and Mississippi.
We are better prepared to deal with the Mississippi River flood waters of 2011 here in Cajun Country than our neighbors are in the north.
For one, our system here is designed for the worst case scenario, and this is not it. The mandatory evacuation of Butte la Rose has been lifted temporarily, and then put back in place as of today. And what that means is, people were being allowed to go back home and move a few more things out, and are being forewarned to be on guard, because this is not over. The water will most likely not get as high as predicted, but it is coming, even if it is coming slower than predicted.
So, we(on the west side of the levee), have not, and are not now and most likely will not flood, in the future, at least not this year.
If you want to see some images of the flooding here is a website with great photos, but that ain't us, we are safe behind protection levees.
