Flooded roadways causing major headaches for West Feliciana drivers
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ST. FRANCISVILLE - As the Mississippi River rises, so does the water on roads in parts of West Feliciana Parish.
A flood of water is rising from the Mississippi River into the streets of St. Francisville. So far, two families have had to evacuate their homes.
Today, 1,500-pound sandbags were placed in the Old Ferry Landing area in an attempt to keep the water at bay.
"There are some large sandbags right down the street here that have been put in place to try and slow that down. But once the river wants to go somewhere it's hard to stop it," Director of West Feliciana Homeland Security Brian Spillman said.
At the intersection of Mahoney Road and Tunica Street, the water is about three feet deep. Some neighbors, like Mike Bennett, have to take alternative routes to get home.
"We have a low water bridge crossing the creek, and it's flooded so I have to go around the outside of town to get to my house," Bennett said.
He said it's not unusual to see floodwaters around this time of year, but it's never too early to take precautions.
"Don't drive through it, because you don't know how deep it is."
Spillman says he expects the waters to rise overnight, which may affect businesses in the area.
"It's going to get a little higher, probably another half foot in the next few days."
He says residents should not take the rising water lightly. Several homes are currently inaccessible because of the flooding.
"About two dozen homes are affected by the floodwaters. They either have flooding or are inaccessible to their homes currently," Spillman said.
The water is expected to crest any day now, but Spillman says it'll be another week or more before the water starts receding.