DESTREHAN, La. (WGNO) — Kenny Martinez has lived in Ormond Estates in Destrehan for 28 years and he says he’s never seen a storm like Hurricane Ida.
“We’ve been through a lot, I mean all the storms that we’ve been through, Katrina I didn’t even — I was missing like two or three shingles and we did really good. But this one’s bad,” said Martinez.
The damage is evident throughout the subdivison. Trees ripped by the root, thrown on top of houses. Debris is all across the yards and streets. The usually pleasant neighborhood is now in complete disarray.
“I was prepared to see a lot of damage but I was really disheartened to see the amount of damage through the whole neighborhood,” said Phil Blanchard, who also lives in Ormond Estates.
St. Charles Parish officials told residents not to expect power for at least a month, leaving locals in distress about the next few weeks.
“I have a disabled son who’s on life support so power is critical for me, and I mean I have a generator running now, but I’m not going to trust his life to it,” said Martinez.
Despite the circumstances, the folks of St. Charles Parish are trying to piece back their lives one step at a time. They believe recovery could take months, but they know they’re strong enough to move forward.
St. Charles Parish officials are urging residents to stay off the roads and levees as the clean up process begins. The parish is working to restore water to the east bank and garbage services are suspended for the next five to seven days. The sheriff has also issued a curfew from 8pm to 5am until further notice.
