Johnson Bayou: Move over Audrey... Heeeerrrreee's Rita!

photo by gdouglastrahan 10/8/05.

Several relatives went to Johnson Bayou over this weekend to evaluate their homes and property.

There were three homes in JB they thought appeared to have some hope, all on stilts: Dwight & Judy Erbelding (memory: I remember when they started building that house and people gave Dwight a hard time because he put that house up so high... Hey Dwight - they aren't laughing anymore!), Peggy Trahan, and a newer house next to Travis Trahan's (Travis' used to be Francis and Rosalie Erbelding's). There was discussion perhaps brick homes could be salvaged... if everything was ripped out down to the bricks and rebuilt.

Some of the pictures I have in my head:

• The water went over my Aunt Elsie's kitchen counter, and everything is still wet. They drug her furniture out to inspect the floors, but they are made of a floor and subfloor, and feared beyond repair. Mold is growing on the studs inside the walls.
• My Uncle Billy's house is pretty much wrecked - held in place by the many trees that surround it.
• My Aunt Thelma's house looked better than the others, the west wall is gone, freezers overturned, water damage... doubtful the house is salvageable.
• My Great Grandmother Oreallye Griffith's boathouse turned land-lubber, is destroyed and in the marsh.
• Joseph and Amy Erbelding's old place is there - porch missing, roof fell in the back... no hope.
• Damage to the Baptist church and cemetery... already knew that but got additional news about more missing headstones....
  

My Aunt Kay who owns property in JB, but is no longer a resident, was able to get in to the parish when she explained her business. Rumor has it they'll let most people in on weekends but during the week it's harder because they're working on roads and electricity.

There are lots of electrical crews, they saw one fire hydrant spewing water near my Aunt Elsie's. No water service to the homes, for obvious reasons.

There are emergency personnel and and at least one ambulance in JB. They are giving Tetanus shots somewhere down there...

They described the landscape "burned". No leaves left on the trees. Everything once green is brown. You could see the inside of the school from the highway.... MyUncle Billy thinks it will be two years before the marsh is suitable for grazing.

After talking with my cousin, it appears what is desperately needed down there is some sort of construction professional who can advise if the homes that are standing are salvageable. I emailed Architecture for Humanity and America Continental 2000 to see if they could help provide one....