Destiney Bell’s yard is flooded, and this isn’t the first time. Most storms turn Bell’s lawn into a lake, transforming her house on a busy New Orleans corner into an island of inconvenience. A half hour of heavy rain means that she wades through half a foot of water just to leave her house. Her roommate, a doctor, often worries that she won’t be able to get out of their flooded driveway and to get to work.
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| Flooding has become a common sight in New Orleans during heavy rains. |
Bell also keeps an eye on the kids around the school bus stop on her street. “Whatever trash or debris is in the street is getting flooded up into our yard,” she said. “I’m constantly watching to make sure they’re all OK, because with all that water, you have no idea what’s going to happen.”
This story has echoes across New Orleans. Throughout this summer, major rain storms have hit the city. On July 22, one such storm dumped over 4 inches in an hour and left parts of the city in disarray. A foot of water poured into the lobby of the movie theater on Broad Street, and a foot and half inundated Louisiana State University’s dental school. Cars across the city were dragged into the floodwaters. Another round of major flooding that began August 5 led Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards to declare a state of emergency.
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