ACADIA PARISH (RAYNE) — Residents at the Rayne Villas Apartments are still recovering from severe flooding that hit the complex Saturday, with many describing the situation as the worst they have ever experienced.
Bridgitt Trahan, a resident who has lived at the complex for over five years, said she had never seen flooding like Saturday’s.
“The water just started gushing in,” she said. “I walked to the back bedroom for something—I don’t remember what it was—and it was coming through the walls.”
Water quickly flooded into the apartments and vehicles, causing widespread damage.
All residents at the Rayne Villas live on disability income, and the costs of repairing flood damage are a significant concern for those left to deal with the aftermath.
“I gotta go through the closets and start cleaning out there,” Trahan said. “Thank God I had a lot of stuff in totes.”
“I went and put a towel against the door, and it was too late—it just started coming in,” Trahan added.
Ovide Pellerin Jr., another resident of the complex, was also affected. Pellerin, who is on oxygen and scheduled to receive a pacemaker this week, watched as floodwaters rose to dangerous levels.
“We kept seeing the water rise, halfway through the car rims—almost up to the front door,” he said, recalling the moment his car filled with water.
"Every time it rains a heavy rain, we have water in the parking lot—never came this high, but water comes up to the back of the vehicles on a regular rain. Now, with this thunderstorm that we had yesterday and Friday—I mean, it was crazy.”
KATC reached out to the landlord and Huff Management for comment but did not hear back.
