ST. AMANT – It’s a familiar story in Ascension Parish: fast rising water causing thousands of dollars in damages to homes.

But while some residents fought the flood from behind sandbags, others had to leave their homes to rescue others.

August’s historic flooding caused $80,000 in damages to Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Lt. Joey Meyer’s St. Amant home. But he is just one of about 140 first responders in the parish whose homes were damaged by floodwaters.

“It’s heartbreaking to know that: yes, your home could be flooding, but even if I was here, I couldn’t stop the flooding,” Meyers said. “So I kept myself where I was needed most.”

Meyers was greeted by family and friends Sunday at Park 73 in Prairieville. Every deputy, police officer and firefighter in the parish were invited to a special family fun day put on by the East Ascension Rotary.

The organization said they decided to put on the fair to show their appreciation to the first responders that sacrificed their homes to help the community in its time of need.

“They put their lives on the line every day,” East Ascension Rotary President Amy Colby said. “Every minute of every day of every single year for us. We need to take the time out to say thank you.”

Meyers said he still does not know when his life will return to normal, but it feels good to know that the community appreciates his work.