Lake D'Arbonne: Still On The Rise

Wednesday night, Lake D'Arbonne is still on the rise.

And some residents fear the water could soon take over their homes.

In just two days Lake D'Arbonne rose over a foot.

It's now well over flood stage at over 84 feet.

That water is inching closer to many homes.

Lake D'Arbonne is growing more and more by the day.

"We've been keeping an eye on it every hour it's going from an inch up. It’s steadily coming to us," said D’Arbonne resident Robert Rushing.

Robert Rushing and his family spent most of the day Wednesday putting down sand bags and anything else that can stop the water coming in.

What was once a backyard and a four foot sea wall, in one day, is nothing more than a lake.

"We've been busy trying to stop the water.  There's really no stopping it, you just kind of prepare," said Rushing.

We’re here near Pleasure Island on Lake D'Arbonne. On Monday, I stood on the road. Now we're told the water is waist deep and it's getting closer to any homes in its path.

D'Arbonne Waterway Commission president Steve Cagle is worried.

He says the water is even higher now than when water flooded during the spring.

"We've got about 30 inches of rain in Union Parish and this water just keeps on building up and building up and it can't go anywhere," said Cagle.

Cagle says three of four maintenance gates are open.

The other one he says is broken and cannot be opened.

"It’s not going to help right now with there's so much water going out and the river coming," said Cagle.

And he says even if the gate was open, that wouldn't help water getting out any faster.

The state approved more flood gates to be built that would let out ten times more water on the spillway.

But Cagle says the bond commission still has not approved the project.

"Right now's a good time for everybody to it doesn't hurt to call a politician and say, "where's the money?"” said Cagle.

But for now residents on Lake D'Arbonne wait and watch the water rise.

"We're real concerned because it can jeopardize our whole way of life," said D’Arbonne resident Peyton Spear.

Cagle says Lake D’arbonne is expected to crest just under 85 feet.

But he says anymore rain and the eventual stage of the lake is just anybody's guess.