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AquaDam breach in Bayou Sorrel stopped; as many as 1,000 people evacuated

2 years 9 months 4 weeks ago Friday, May 21 2021 May 21, 2021 May 21, 2021 10:44 AM May 21, 2021 in News
Source: WBRZ

BAYOU SORREL - Some of the temporary barriers erected to stop flooding in parts of Iberville Parish gave way to rising water Friday morning.

The Iberville Office of Emergency Preparedness said around 10 a.m. Friday that a barrier along LA 75 in Bayou Sorrel failed, allowing water to rush in from the Intracoastal Waterway. 

Workers and volunteers placed sandbags and concrete barriers at the site of the breach to mitigate the rush of water. The breach was stopped sometime before 4 p.m. Friday.

Click here to see video of the AquaDam taken shortly before the breach

Click here to see video taken moments after the barrier gave way

Residents in the area of the breach were immediately told to evacuate the area. As of Friday evening, they're still being asked to avoid the area. 

The Iberville Office of Emergency Preparedness says as many as 1,000 people were evacuated. Officials initially estimated hundreds of homes were impacted by flooding, but they later clarified that about 500 homes are in the affected area overall. It remains unclear exactly how many homes took on water.  

Officials encourage anyone displaced by flooding to seek help at the Red Cross Shelter at the Civic Center in Plaquemine. Anyone with large animals can bring them to the Mike Zito Center on Bayou Road in Plaquemine. 

The state fire marshal's office is also in nearby Bayou Pigeon to help residents evacuate their homes. 

State officials said more resources are being sent to the area to assist. 

This is a developing story. 

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