By Sally Angelle

LSN



Butte LaRose – While many were enjoying Mother’s Day and the Crawfish Festival, the residents in the community of Butte LaRose were packing up and moving out.

The St. Martin Sheriff’s Office spent the day Saturday knocking door-to-door and leaving information for residents and camp owners to secure their property, pack up their valuables and move out.

Trailers filled with furniture, four-wheelers and lawn equipment passed through Henderson on Saturday and Sunday.

On May 6, camp owners and residents of Butte LaRose were urged to self-evacute by the Sheriff’s Office due to the anticipated high water levels expected.

The Melancon family from Cecilia spent Mother’s Day packing up the furniture at the family camp.

Kenneth “Skin” Melancon along with his sons Kasey and Devin and brother-in-law David Berard filled the trailer with the contents of the family camp.

“Skin” remembers the flood of 1973 when he and his father L.J. “rode to check on the camp in a lil aluminum boat,” the only way they could reach the camp located about a half-mile from the pontoon bridge.

Laura Melancon adds that in 1973, the water reached the front porch, level with the floor.

Further down the road in the Atchafalaya Acres subdivision Joe Prejean, a resident of Butte LaRose for the past 30 years is getting ready to “camp out.” He says his house is elevated and he has a couple of boats, he intends to stay for the long haul.

Just down the street from Prejean is Betty Miller, 75, family members were busy Sunday helping her pack and moving her to Baton Rouge until it is safe to return to her home.

The Miller’s loaded all they could in a covered horse trailer while also going through boxes and throwing away trash to prevent any debris from being washed away.

Emily Miller excitedly tells to her mother that she had “found all our old toys.”

People who own camps in the Atchafalaya River area were moving everything they could on Sunday.