Waterlogged Louisiana Gets More Rain, Trapping Residents in Homes

Storm clouds dumped 11 inches of rain Friday on waterlogged Louisiana, trapping dozens of residents in their homes and triggering floods that washed coffins out of graves in a cemetery.

The National Guard was sent in to evacuate about 75 people trapped in their homes by high water in St. Landry Parish.

Up to five feet of water flooded homes Friday morning at Opelousas, La., where 10 inches of rain fell. Authorities in Centerville measured 11 inches.

Officials at the Little Zion Cemetery in Opelousas said a number of coffins were washed out of graves.

“We have a lot of areas in the parish that were flooded,” St. Landry Parish Sheriff Howard Zerangue said. “We had to evacuate a lot of people.” Some people in the lower areas of the parish were stranded because of flooded roads.

Lafayette, La., Police Chief George Armbruster said six inches of rain fell in a six-hour period, flooding roads and homes.

The National Weather Service reported that roads were flooded from Morgan City to Franklin.

Classes at the University of Southwestern Louisiana and at public schools in Lafayette were canceled. The public library and its branches were closed.

Elsewhere, flash flood warnings were posted in parts of Oklahoma, where six inches of rain sent creeks and streams over their banks.

The Weather Service said six inches of rain fell Friday morning south of Durant. Warnings were posted in Bryan County on the Texas border, and authorities in Calera, Okla., evacuated a nursing home because of the flood threat.

Six inches of rain fell by Friday morning in the Oklahoma City area, forecasters said. Storms late Thursday caused severe street flooding in northwestern parts of the city.

Deanne Loy said she was trapped atop her car in more than four feet of water until firefighters rescued her. She was not injured.