Record Louisiana floods continue into fifth day
BOSSIER CITY, Louisiana -- Record floods that have killed at least five people in the South are not letting up as torrential rains continue into a fifth day.
As of late Friday afternoon, the Red Chute Bayou water level was 25 feet and rising. The water rushing downstream from two lakes to the north had made Bossier City Ground Zero.
The Red Chute Bayou was in danger of topping the city's main levee and 3,500 homes were at risk of flooding -- both to its west and to its south.
Because of recent heavy rains, approximately 30,000 gallons of water were flowing downstream each second -- seven to 10 times the normal flow.
Sandbags were being dropped to protect the levee from eroding if water tops it.
Mike Petersen is with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. He characterized the area as a choke point, where all the water is forced through a relatively narrow area. That's why it is rising so quickly, about 10 feet in three days, two feet in last day alone.
Firefighter Josh Wolverton has been rescuing people for two days. Now, his home is at risk. He says the levee is about 300-400 yards from his backyard.
"We've lived here for six years. I've never seen water in the streets. Never," he said.
Since then, he's evacuated his wife and daughters and elevated his furniture using canned goods to prop them up.
Just to the south, Mark Eichlelberger walked away from his home with a trash bag of treasures. His home is also filled with water.
"You don't think it is going to flood, and then the next thing you know there is water under the door. What do you do," he said, tearing up.
And things aren't looking up. Sometime tonight or tomorrow morning Red Chute Bayou is expected to reach the levee and overflow.