Denham Springs and the Floods of 2016

In 2016, Livingston Parish experienced severe, wide-spread flooding twice in six months that affected 72% of all households in the parish (Denham Strong, 2019, pg. 13). Residents in Denham Springs were caught off guard in August when street flooding, a common occurrence, didn’t recede. Instead, waters rose overnight and entered most buildings in the city - homes, businesses, city hall, schools, fire stations, police department, etc. This compounded the difficulty of rescue and response activities because critical emergency facilities were damaged and personnel experienced the floods as both residents with families in crisis and as first responders for a community in crisis. The Cajun Navy, a local group of boat owners, helped emergency response personnel rescue those stranded in flooded homes.

The August flood affected most members of the community either through direct flooding or by housing flooded family and friends. 3,114 of 4,025 structures in the city reported flood depths of 18 inches or more, and 508 suffered substantial damages, defined as “restoration costs greater than 50% of market value” (Denham Strong, 2017, pg. 13). Recovery efforts relied heavily on volunteers and local organizations because flooding extended beyond the 100-year floodplain, with floodwaters impacting residents who had not been required to have flood insurance. This left property owners financially responsible for all damages and in need of disaster relief assistance. Many residents were temporarily displaced for more than a year. Psychological impacts, such as anger, depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder, were pervasive throughout the community and long-lasting.

Regional Impact of the 2016 Floods