Allen Parish - Disaster Impact and Needs Assessment

Economic and Workforce Development

• Employment  According to the Allen Workforce Center there were 790 new unemployment applications in Allen Parish following the two hurricanes. Presently, the Allen Workforce Center is trying to place at least twenty-four temporary employees with jobs in the public/non-profit sector into permanent private sector positions.
• Timber  The Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry estimates that 15 percent of the harvestable timber in Allen Parish was lost due to Hurricane Rita, with a valuation of approximately $60 million. In absolute numbers, the estimated loss was 164 million board feet of softwood (mostly Southern Pine) and 113 million board feet of hardwood.
• Rice  The rice crop had just been harvested prior to the hurricanes, so there was no loss in Allen Parish. Rice normally accounts for 66,6 percent of the total value of non-forest agricultural production in Allen Parish ($8,774,000 in 2004).
• Soybean  Soybean production in Allen Parish fell 95 percent between 1995 and 2004. A fungus called Rust, which was brought into Louisiana from the winds of the 2004 hurricanes, led to fewer acres of planted soybeans in 2005. The spread of the fungus might have been further advanced by Hurricane Rita.
• Crawfish  Crawfish in Allen Parish are grown in the rice fields. Runoff into the rice fields lowered the oxygen in the water. Reductions in growth (both size and number) have been reported, however statistics are not yet available.
• Cattle  The direct effects of Hurricane Rita on the cattle industry in Allen Parish were relatively negligible. Only five cows were known to have been killed, according to USDA Farm Service reports. This figure is disputed by some local farmers. Many cows (no hard figures) were under-fed due to the destruction of hay in the field, rolled hay, or feed storage bins. Many undernourished cows can still be seen at the Kinder Livestock auctions. Malnourishment is partly due to on-going drought in the region, despite the Hurricane. Following Hurricane Rita, many cows were trucked into Allen Parish from Calcasieu and Cameron Parishes, because of heavy flooding in those areas. The Kinder Livestock Auction (largest in Louisiana), saw 500 more cows than usual at weekly auctions during the weeks following Rita.
• Tourism  Motels and hotels along U.S. Highway 165 in Allen Parish were filled to capacity during and following both storms. At least one hotel in Kinder sustained major damage.
• Downed trees in the Ouiska Chitto river and damage to canoeing facilities in northwest Allen Parish from Hurricane Rita have affected the canoe rental business. Discussions with canoe operators have taken place, however no monetary figures are available at this time. The winter season of 2005-06 was completely wiped out and has operators worried for the summer high season. Many trees remain in the rivers and block the canoe run at Ouiska Chitto (waterway). Due to the designation of this waterway as a Scenic River, these trees cannot be removed without Federal Government approval. Assistance is needed for the removal of downed trees and debris on private property near the scenic rivers where campground facilities and other recreational opportunities are located.

Environmental Management

• Habitat  Timber stands were damaged creating impacts on white tail deer and turkey habitat. Debris and siltation impacts the quality of fish habitat.
• Landfills/debris  A large volume of solid waste, debris, and construction materials has impacted the life span of the landfill.
• According to the February 3 edition of PA Infrastructure Report, 53,166 cubic yards of debris has been hauled under USACE debris removal, and 35,784 cubic yards of debris has been hauled to date by applicant.
• Soil quality  Some soil erosion caused siltation of streams and wetlands.
• Drainage  Man-made and natural drainage systems are blocked and slowed by debris and fallen trees.
• Forest/Forest Fuels  A large volume of timber has been damaged or destroyed by the storm, resulting in a large volume of forest fuels during fire season.

Human Services

• Hospital  Allen Parish Hospital suffered major roof and floor damage.
• Schools  Allen Parish schools sustained varied amounts of damage and enrolled approximately 298 evacuee students (123 elementary, 83 middle, 79 high school, 1 alternative school, and 12 Head Start). 104 of these evacuee students still remain in the Allen Parish school system.
• Reeves High School sustained roof damage that, in turn, damaged the ceilings, books, furniture, and the library.
• Oberlin Elementary school had roof damage that caused the ceiling tiles to be replaced. None of the twelve evacuee students remain at the school. Oberlin High School lost several rows on the football stadium, sustained roof leaks in some of the classrooms, lost shingles on the ticket booth and the fence was blown down around the football field. None of the four evacuee students remain at the school.
• Kinder Elementary School lost its fence around the playground area. Twenty-three of the sixty-six evacuee students are still enrolled at the school. Kinder Middle School had downed trees, sustained roof damaged, flooding in four classrooms, insulation was replaced, ceiling tiles in several locations were damaged, food in the cafeteria was lost and an awning on a portable classroom building was lost. Fifteen of the forty-five evacuee students are still enrolled. Kinder High School had damage to the football score board, lost shingles from the roof of the gym, damage to the carpet in the auditorium and main floor, and a broken glass door in the economics building. There are still twelve of the fifty evacuee students enrolled at this time.
• Oakdale Elementary still has twenty-eight of its forty-five evacuee students enrolled. Oakdale Middle School sustained roof damage, a hole in the covered walkway and needs to replace several ceiling tiles. Of the thirty-eight evacuee students enrolled, twelve students remain. Oakdale High School lost several trees around the campus and shingles were blown off of the roof. Eleven of the twenty-five evacuee students still remain.
• The Allen Parish Alternative School sustained damage to the roof and ceiling tiles. One evacuee student is still enrolled at the school.
• The Kinder Head Start lost its walkway and sustained roof damage. The Oakdale Head Start had shingles blown off the roof. Of the twelve evacuee students enrolled in the Head Start program, two remain.
• Fire/Police/EMS stations  There was no reported damage to any of the fire stations or police stations.
• Recreation  Construction of recreation facility (that included bike trails) in Reeves was stopped, due to a freeze on state matching funds and lack of available contractors to work on the project due to hurricanes.

Transportation and Infrastructure

• Roads  There was no direct damage to bridges, highways, local roads or railways. Debris had to be cleared from most roads and rail lines to allow traffic to pass. Traffic congestion was a major problem in Allen Parish. The intersection of U.S.Highway 165 and U.S. Highway 190 saw the greatest congestion with up to 12 miles of backed up traffic.
• Public Buildings  Kinder City Hall and the Allen Civic Center both suffered minor roof damage, including lost shingles.
• Damage was considered minor to the Allen Correctional Facility. The facility took in 1900 prisoners (400 of which came from evacuation areas) and 350 staff and dependents. The major need is for a larger generation system for power and additional emergency temporary housing and shower and bathroom facilities on site.
• Utilities  Town of Kinder: The town almost ran out of diesel to power the emergency generator for the drinking water system. A fuel storage tank would help alleviate this risk. The town has an emergency generator for the water supply system but needs a backup motor for the pumps in case they break down and are taken out of service. At the wastewater treatment plant, the hurricane damaged the baffles of the ponds, and the power outage prevented the operation of the lift stations. This caused sewer backups, particularly at the hospital, which had to be closed. The town would like to have power saws and dump trucks to collect and transport debris from hurricanes and other disasters.
• City of Oakdale: Emergency power generators are available to operate the pumps in case of a power outage but they are all undersized. The storms destroyed one. The system operates with a pressure of 52 psi but, during the storms, pressure was as low as 25 psi, close to the minimum acceptable without triggering a boil-water advisory. The generators need upgrading; they are not adequate for firefighting. Following Hurricane Rita, the well site remained without electrical power for 3.5 days. The most pressing needs of the system are: (a) an emergency power generator and two pumps large enough to handle two wells, and (b) additional storage capacity to ensure a five-day supply of water. The storms caused the City to violate its discharge permit due to increased water use and excessive infiltration/inflow. The wastewater discharge was more than twice the 1.4 million gallons per day permitted and there were numerous sewer overflows. There is no auxiliary power to operate the lift stations and the treatment plant. The system does not have the resources to correct the excessive infiltration/inflow. The system needs upgrading and expansion to accommodate any growth, including the evacuees who choose to stay. The water and wastewater maps also need updating to facilitate operation and maintenance.
• Town of Elizabeth: The storms seriously damaged several lines, poles, transformers, cross arms, etc. Rita caused power loss for three days; Katrina had no impact. As mandated by the state, Elizabeth purchased a movable diesel generator to operate its water and wastewater systems and provide fire protection. During the power shortage, the generator powered the potable water wells during the day and the wastewater treatment plant at night. The town would like to (a) acquire a natural gas-powered generator to use as an emergency unit for water supply, fire protection and City Hall, which houses the emergency command center (natural gas is preferred since there were fuel shortages and the government is the natural gas supplier for the town) and (b) install the existing generator permanently at the wastewater treatment plant as a backup unit. The town’s 30-year-old bucket truck needs to be replaced as it is obsolete, does not operate well, and constitutes a hazard. It is used to operate and maintain the electric distribution system. Elizabeth would like to purchase a used truck from CLECO for about $10,000. With a skid tank of 500 gallons, diesel supply was adequate. However, gasoline was almost non-existent. Elizabeth, at the northern boundary of Allen Parish, is fairly isolated from the larger urban centers of Alexandria, DeRidder, and Oakdale. It would like to stage refueling tankers in town. Elizabeth purchases natural gas from the Tennessee Gas Pipeline for distribution to its customers. Trees uprooted by the hurricanes damaged the gas distribution lines. The maintenance crew used a small generator for the repairs. The town has applied to FEMA for reimbursement of the expenses of removing debris caused by the storms. The town has applied for a LCBGD grant to correct the excessive infiltration and inflow problems caused by the storm, and rehabilitate the wastewater treatment plant. The town would like to upgrade and increase the capacity of the lift station that serves the recreational vehicle park to make the park available to evacuees. There is a site in Elizabeth that can accommodate 33 recreational vehicles (RV). FEMA wanted to rent it for 18 months to house refugees, but this is not feasible at this time because of a lack of public transportation, security, and access to medical care. The town has only one policeman.
• Town of Oberlin: The storms caused electric service interruptions in the town of two and a half days for CLECO customers and eight days for Beauregard customers. The collection system includes 15 lift stations, which were affected by the power failures and do not have backup generators. Three-phase generators are desirable. The system normally experiences high infiltration/inflow rates, exacerbated during the hurricanes. The maps of the wastewater collection system are not up-to-date and a good set of as-builts would facilitate maintenance and operation. A series of oxidation ponds (of capacity 0.4 MGD and peak 1.5 MGD) provide biological treatment and discharge effluent into Bayou Blue. Current treatment is inadequate and is being upgraded through a grant and loan to meet USEPA requirements.
• SW Allen Parish Water District: An increase in water demand is expected as a result of evacuees from Cameron Parish settling in the service area. As many as 500 new customers, i.e., 2,000 people, may require service within three to five years. The utility is not ready to serve this influx. It needs, at least, a new well and diesel generator system, which costs about $400,000. It also needs to upgrade the existing system.

Housing and Community Development

• During Hurricane Katrina, Allen Parish housed approximately 6,000 people in hotels, recreational vehicle parks, and churches. Local officials estimate that 1,200 of the Katrina evacuees remained during Rita. The parish saw an influx of approximately 10,000 evacuees for hurricane Rita. This is an increase of 39 percent practically overnight with no designated evacuation shelters. According to FEMA GIS data 1,039 people, about 4 percent of the population, evacuated from Allen Parish. FEMA data also illustrates that as of Jan. 10, 2006, 9,122 Rita evacuees and 586 Katrina evacuees had applied for assistance in Allen Parish.
• The City of Kinder and the Village of Reeves, in the southern part of the parish, felt the strongest winds from hurricane Rita, although tornadoes touched down across the entire parish. A local Allstate agent estimated that 80 percent of the homes in the Kinder area, approximately 640 homes, incurred some damage. Home repair costs averaged between $8,000 and $10,000.
• According to the Public Assistance Infrastructure Report dated Feb. 3, 2006, a total of 61 roofs have been installed in Allen Parish. Of the 9,157 total housing units (Census), less than 10 housing units were completely destroyed. Approximately 2 percent of the housing units lack plumbing and 2 percent lack kitchen facilities (366 units) according to Census data. There is no known significant damage to senior, Section 8 or public housing facilities.
• The estimated permanent increase to Allen Parish is 7 percent of the population, or 1,780 people.