Houseboat Residents Adjust to Rising River
By: Brittney Johnson
Updated: November 1, 2009
Going grocery shopping just got a little more difficult for Bryan Barker and his family.
Now that the Ouachita River is more than a foot above flood stage, levee officials are closing gaps in the flood walls that people like Barker use as a path to get to their houseboats.
Bryan Barker said, "They put the wall up so we have to crawl up the steps. When opened, this gap leads to a driveway for people who call the river their home. Closed, it becomes a barrier that keeps the rising river from the rest of the city. The problem is, it blocks off houseboat residents too. The river is so high its covering a lot where people usually park their cars. they had to build an extension of plywood and Styrofoam almost 170 feet, and they've got more to go.
All of this, because Northeast Louisiana received record rainfall for the month of October. But all this extra water affects people who live on houseboats differently than people who live on houses on land along the river.
Barker said, "Here, it just keeps going up, if you live on land your house could flood." The dock maintenance man says he usually extends the walkway to this telephone poll, but this is an unusual year.
Barker said, "It made it a longer walk to the boat for one and we lost the parking lot so we had to park across the street."
Barker says losing their parking lot is more than an inconvenience, it is dangerous. Just last week someone broke into some of their cars.
Barker said, "They ripped off my door handle and got into my truck and stole my stereo."
Barker says he may be at a financial loss, but the changes aren't enough to make him or his neighbors lose their love for the river. They just hope it doesn't get too much higher.
Bryan Barker said, "They put the wall up so we have to crawl up the steps. When opened, this gap leads to a driveway for people who call the river their home. Closed, it becomes a barrier that keeps the rising river from the rest of the city. The problem is, it blocks off houseboat residents too. The river is so high its covering a lot where people usually park their cars. they had to build an extension of plywood and Styrofoam almost 170 feet, and they've got more to go.
All of this, because Northeast Louisiana received record rainfall for the month of October. But all this extra water affects people who live on houseboats differently than people who live on houses on land along the river.
Barker said, "Here, it just keeps going up, if you live on land your house could flood." The dock maintenance man says he usually extends the walkway to this telephone poll, but this is an unusual year.
Barker said, "It made it a longer walk to the boat for one and we lost the parking lot so we had to park across the street."
Barker says losing their parking lot is more than an inconvenience, it is dangerous. Just last week someone broke into some of their cars.
Barker said, "They ripped off my door handle and got into my truck and stole my stereo."
Barker says he may be at a financial loss, but the changes aren't enough to make him or his neighbors lose their love for the river. They just hope it doesn't get too much higher.
