Grand Isle braces for Tropical Storm Laura. Grand Isle’s mayor David Camardelle says massive sandbags are in place to hold back any possible storm surge as Laura makes landfall.
“With the National Guard the governor sent about 300 bags to take care of the burrito levees,” Camardelle told WWL First News.
Camardelle says highway LA-1 is still open and unrestricted to island residents. The tide he says, has been normal for this time of year so far, but they do expect that to change once Laura approaches.
“We are kind-of monitoring the tides as we speak,” said Camardelle, “But the winds picked up a little bit, there is actually a little wind... it picks up then dies down... then you got the little feeder-bands, light rain. We are just concern about Laura coming in to the Gulf. If it continues to go towards Brownville we will be farther from the bad side.”
Grand Isle has always battled coastal erosion. Besides the ‘burrito’ levees a large rock jetty has proven effective in holding back storm surge according Camardelle. However, he says the Army Corps of Engineers will not help Grand Isle add more coastal rock jetties along Grand Isle’s beaches.
“In the meantime, they claiming after the storm season they will come back and get the dredge…and fill in the whole beach…and leave it alone it should heal. But there is no way,” Camardelle said. “We have been doing this for many years…anybody with the right sense can tell you…that with erosion whenever you run out of money for the rocks…get ready, the next fella that owns the property is scared of erosion.”
He continues, “I just can’t convince them. But we are working on it. They can’t help me. The Corps has never called me. They can’t help me at all for this storm unless it is a category three.”