St. Landry Parish residents have been playing a waiting game for the better part of a week. Last week, Tropical Storm Arthur dumped 20 to 30 inches of rain within 12 hours across southern parts of the parish, a likely 1,000-year rainfall event that caught most residents off guard. That water, which is not contained within rivers and canals, is now flooding parts of northern St. Landry Parish.
For most of the past week, a flood warning has been in effect for the parishes of Avoyelles, St. Landry, Evangeline and Rapides, according to the National Weather Service.
St. Landry Parish President Jessie Bellard issued voluntary evacuation recommendations for most areas of the parish north of La. 190 early in the week, and on Tuesday, water flowed across La. 10 in Palmetto. On Wednesday, he warned residents of Lebeau along U.S. 71 from U.S. 190 north to La. 10 that it was time to leave if they planned to evacuate. Though a Red Cross shelter opened for several days in Opelousas, Bellard said most residents who evacuated were able to find family and friends to stay with, and the shelter was closed…