Residents urge parish to dig ditches, clear culverts after storm flooding in Hahnville and St. Rose

During the public‑comment portion of the meeting, residents described specific hazardous drainage problems and asked the parish to take immediate action.

Catherine Turner Gordon said a ditch in front of a century‑old home on Smith Street had deepened into a canal that makes yard maintenance dangerous and increases mosquito risk; she asked the parish to consider filling the location and to follow up with a site visit. Council and administration agreed to follow up and asked Public Works staff to contact her.

Tom Alford of Saint Rose presented photos he said showed as much as two feet or more of water at his house during the recent storm and alleged nearby grading raised a neighboring property, altering flow paths. He documented clogged culverts that he said are half full and urged replacing a 24‑inch culvert with a larger (48‑inch) pipe, removing a berm blocking flow to a pump station, and cleaning debris. Alford and others said the pump station at Diane had cycled and portable pumps were used; Public Works said it had telemetry showing pumps ran and described near‑term steps: adding a 30‑inch portable pump, removing the berm, cleaning ditches near the railroad, and planning culvert upgrades in phases subject to permitting.

Staff said some ditches fall under resident maintenance responsibility while main arteries are maintained by tractor crews; they also said several capital projects are already in design or construction to address region‑wide drainage deficits. Administration committed to follow up with timelines and staff said permitting and engineering for larger upgrades can take months.