Northshore emergency management teams and leaders are closely monitoring river levels after stormy weather, and more rain is expected.
Reports show the Tangipahoa River is at 18.3 feet high and is expected to continue rising throughout the day.
Officials said the Hidden Oaks community self-evacuated Sunday night. They do not anticipate issuing evacuation orders because most homes in the area are elevated.
Owners at the Hidden Oaks campsite say the National Weather Service called them Saturday night and advised them to have residents evacuate for safety, but the only way to get that message to residents was to hop in their kayaks.
“To give our campers an update, because they are at home worried about their properties, so we are trying to keep them updated, and the only way we can get back there is the kayak, so I’m glad we were able to do that,” Caress Tureau said.
The Tureaus tell WDSU they just bought the property two weeks ago, and though they knew it had the potential to flood, they never thought it would happen so soon.
Right now, they say they are grateful everyone is safe, and there is no property damage. Now they are looking forward to the water receding, so they can get things back to normal.
“There will be a lot of pressure spraying and disinfecting and cutting the grass,” Caress said.
“Basically, you’ll have a bunch of limbs on the ground, things that have floated down from the river,” Nick Tureau said. “It really won’t be that bad because we haven’t had any water get in any of the structures here.”
One couple tells WDSU they’ve lived at Hidden Oaks for 11 years, so this is something they are used to.
“With 11 years of going through it, you kind of know where we have to put things ahead of time,” Valenna and Leroy Folse said.
They are also keeping an eye on other areas, including the Amite River, where levels have dropped, and Robert Gauge.
Reports show the river is expected to crest at 19.5 feet at the Robert Gauge. The highest reported level is from 2016, around 27.33 feet.
A flood warning is in effect for Pearl River in Bogalusa, Washington Parish. Officials said they are monitoring the situation, but those levels are expected to fall in the coming days.
Flood impacts will continue to be monitored throughout the day.
