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If your home was damaged by Hurricane Francine, the tremendous work, expense and stress can mean a daunting and difficult ordeal ahead. But if you restore for more than before, you can return to a stronger, more resilient, comfortable and healthy home.
“Recovering from storm damage is incredibly difficult, but it’s also an opportunity to strengthen your home for the future,” said Carol Friedland, director of the LSU AgCenter LaHouse Research and Education Center.
For those whose homes have sustained damage, LaHouse recommends rebuilding with resilience in mind:
—Upgrade to wind- and flood-resistant materials. Consider using stronger materials like hurricane straps, impact-resistant windows and flood-resistant flooring. These improvements can greatly reduce the likelihood of future damage.
—Follow the FORTIFIED building standards. This nationally recognized standard improves your home’s ability to withstand severe weather and can offer peace of mind for future storms.
—Consult a licensed contractor experienced in resilient building practices. Work with professionals who understand the unique challenges posed by Louisiana’s weather patterns and can help you make informed choices about upgrades.
—Take advantage of local and federal programs. There may be financial assistance or incentives available to support more resilient rebuilding, so explore all your options when planning repairs.
—Invest in high-quality windows, doors and garage doors. High winds and flying debris can break windows and push in or pull out a standard garage door or entry door, allowing pressure to build inside, push on the roof and surrounding walls and cause major structural damage to a home. If you live in a high wind zone and are replacing any windows, doors or garage doors, invest in wind- and impact-rated units. If you are not replacing them, consider adding easy-to-use windborne debris protections such as impact-rated shutters, screens and lightweight removable panels.
“By rebuilding with resilience in mind, homeowners can not only restore what was lost but also better prepare for the next storm,” Friedland said.
In the immediate aftermath of the storm, the LaHouse is reminding homeowners to prioritize safety and be vigilant when assessing damage and beginning cleanup. With the potential for structural damage and downed powerlines, it’s critical that residents take precautions to avoid further harm.
LaHouse advises homeowners to:
Inspect for major structural damage. Look for signs of foundation cracks, shifted walls or sagging roofs before entering your home. These could indicate serious hazards, and you may need professional assistance before beginning cleanup.
Beware of contractor scams. Only hire licensed, insured contractors to make repairs, and always check references. Scammers often target vulnerable homeowners after disasters, so take your time to make informed decisions.
Avoid standing water and downed power lines. These can pose electrical hazards. Report downed lines to authorities and wait for professionals to address them.
Use personal protective equipment. When cleaning up debris, wear sturdy gloves, boots and goggles to avoid injury from sharp objects or harmful materials.
“Recovering from a hurricane is a process that requires both care and caution,” Friedland said.
“It’s important for homeowners to approach post-storm cleanup methodically. Staying safe during recovery can help prevent further injury or financial loss.”
LaHouse also reminds residents to document all damage with photos and contact their insurance companies. For more detailed guidance on storm recovery and building resilience, visit LSUAgCenter.com/LaHouse.

FRANKLIN – The city of Franklin came out of Hurricane Francine relatively unscathed as the storm hit east of the western end of St. Mary Parish on Sept. 11 and moved quickly northeastward through Louisiana and into Mississippi.
Francine reached Category 2 with maximum winds of 100 mph before hitting Terrebonne Parish about 5 p.m. Sept. 11 as a Category 1 storm. Francine was downgraded to tropical storm later the same night and was a tropical depression by the next morning.
More than 382,000 customers statewide were without electricity Thursday morning. More than 61,000 power customers in Mississippi were without electricity as the storm headed into that state as a tropical depression.
Most of Franklin was without power Sept. 11 as the hurricane hit, and 13,810 of Cleco’s 19,002 customers in the parish lost power, but the majority of customers on the west end of the parish had power restored by Thursday morning, according to Cleco. Only around 154 customers from Jeanerette to the Calumet Cut reported power still out by noon Thursday.
While Franklin saw extensive street flooding from hours of torrential rain, along with downed tree limbs and power outages, the city was quickly working to get back to normal, Franklin Mayor Eugene Foulcard said. The city instituted a curfew until 7 a.m. Thursday.
“We came out pretty good, thank God,” Foulcard said. “I’m very sorry for our friend and family and my colleagues, the mayors on the eastern end of the parish. They really took a beating.
“I’ve spoken with (Morgan City) Mayor (Lee) Dragna and (Patterson) Mayor (Rodney) Grogan. I haven’t spoken with (Berwick) Mayor Duval (Arthur), but I understand they took a pretty severe beating from the storm.
“We fared extremely well. I guess that slight jog to the east at the last minute spared the city of Franklin. We did have a few tree limbs and a few trees that fell. We immediately started doing an assessment at daybreak (Thursday) and now we’re clearing off all of the streets in Franklin and we’re attempting to get back to normal.”
Foulcard said some businesses and restaurants had asked if they could reopen Thursday, and were told of course they could.
“We’re back to normal,” he said. “All of our operational pumps within the city did their jobs – the South Willow Street pump, the Fifth Street pump, the pump in Pecan Acres and the pumps at the flood gate, and the Yokely drainage pumps.”
The mayor said there was some street flooding, but with that amount of rainfall it is extremely difficult for those pumps to get the water out immediately.
“It is extremely difficult for the pumps to keep up with that much rainfall in such a short order of time,” he said. “I know a few people were upset, saying that the city should do more to clean storm drains. As we have always asked our citizens, they have to be mindful of the things they throw out of their vehicles – cigarette packages, fast food bags, you name it, all of that goes into the drain eventually, and all of that trash builds up and it can slow the pace of major storm runoff water that needs to get pumped out of Franklin.”
The mayor called for people to work together during emergencies instead of assigning blame for problems.
“We all have to work together,” he said. “It’s no time for the name-calling and back-biting because we all are going through things, and what are we doing for the least of us?
“We need to be neighborly, we need to treat each other with dignity and respect, and we’ll get through this OK. We can’t do this if we’re bickering and fighting over whether or not the city has a storm drain cleaned properly.
“We’re doing our part as best we can, but we also would like to ask the citizens not to blow grass in the storm drains after you’ve cut your grass. Don’t throw trash and other debris in your storm drains.
“If you have any ditches that might need to be cleaned out, contact City Hall so we can address it.
“We can’t see everything. That is why there’s a mayor here and five council members. You can pass that along to any one of us and we’ll make sure something gets done.”
The mayor said he was thankful all of the pumps worked and the new floodgate at the Baldwin Canal kept the flood surge out.
“It really didn’t hit the 5- to 10-foot mark (that was forecast at one point) because the storm was moving extremely fast,” the mayor said. “That was our saving grace – it came out extremely fast. We were very fortunate.”
By Thursday morning, he said, 90% to 95% of the streets that had flooding had seen the water starting to recede.

(Editor’s note: The charges listed here and the narratives that go with them are provided by the police agencies that made the arrests. Guilt or innocence has not been determined in court.)

Since Hurricane Francine, St. Mary deputies made an arrest on assault and self-mutilation charges, Chitimacha police made an arrest on a heroin charge, and Assumption deputies arrested a man on burglary and battery charges.

Assumption

Sheriff Leland Falcon reported this arrest:

--Jerret Charles Cortez, 36, Vivian Street, Bayou L’Ourse, was arrested Friday on charges of simple burglary and second-degree battery.

The charges arise from an incident at a residence in the 100 block of Elaine Street in Bayou L’Ourse on Friday.

Deputies made contact with an individual now identified as Cortez and learned of an incident involving Cortez and another individual. Cortez advised deputies that he and a friend were preparing to go cut tree limbs when his friend fell and hit his head.

Deputies went to the residence on Elaine Street and located the other party to this incident, and found him to be suffering from severe injuries.

The victim advised deputies that Cortez went to the residence in question and without provocation, began beating him, the victim further indicated that Cortez may have stolen a firearm from his vehicle earlier.

Deputies located Cortez as he was exiting the victim’s pick-up truck with property from within.

Cortez remains incarcerated pending a bond hearing.

The victim was taken by AirMed to a hospital for treatment of his injuries.

Bail has not been set at this time.

St. Mary

Sheriff Gary Driskell reported these arrests:

--Travis Lee Gilmore, 32, Patterson, was arrested at 10:27 p.m. Sunday on charges of disturbing the peace (language), self-mutilation by a prisoner, attempted criminal damage to property, simple criminal damage to property, resisting a police officer by force, cruelty to animals and simple assault.

--Troy Scott Rosson, 44, Morgan City, was arrested at 11:12 p.m. Sunday on a warrant alleging failure to appear on charges of possession of methamphetamine, possession of marijuana, operating a vehicle with an expert license plate, possession of drug paraphernalia, and operating a vehicle while license is suspended, revoked, or canceled.

Bail has not been set at this time.

--Carlos Lopez, 51, Bayou Vista, was arrested at 6:47 p.m. Thursday on charge of driving while intoxicated, driver must be licensed and open container. Bail has not been set at this time.

Bail has not been set at this time.

Chitimacha

Chief B.C. Trahan reported these arrests:

--Troy S Rosson, 44, Martin Luther King Road, Charenton, was arrested Saturday on an active warrant alleging possession with intent to distribute heroin, possession with intent to distribute cocaine and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was transported from the Iberia Parish Jail to the St. Mary Parish Law Enforcement Center. Trahan thanked the New Iberia Police Department for assistance.

--Tara Lynn Strother Cook Dick, 46, Guase Blouvard, Slidell, was arrested Sept. 7 on an active warrant alleging theft of a motor vehicle ($5,000-$25,000) . She was transported from the Terrebonne Parish Criminal Justice Complex to the St. Mary Parish Law Enforcement Center. Trahan thanked the Terrebonne Parish Sheriff's Office for assistance.

--Felix J Bourque, 78, Willamet Street, New Iberia, was arrested Saturday on an active warrant alleging criminal damage to property. He was released on a summons.

Franklin

Chief Cedric Handy reported these arrests:

--Jaydon Richard, 19, Lee Charles Street, Franklin, was arrested at 9:52 a.m. Sept. 10 on a charge of domestic abuse battery. Richard was booked, processed and held with no bond set at the time of press release.

--Breyonna Verret, 23, Anderson Street, Franklin, while incarcerated at the Franklin Police Department, was arrested at 3:03 p.m. Sept. 10 on a warrant for 3rd Ward City Court alleging failure to appear on a charge of criminal trespassing. Verret was booked, processed and held on a $368 bond.

--Todrick Toussaint, 24, Washington Street, St. Martinville, was arrested at 11:23 p.m. Thursday on a warrant for 3rd Ward City Court alleging failure to appear on charges of speeding, no proof of insurance and driving under suspension, and on a warrant for New Iberia City Court alleging failure to appear on the charge of speeding. Toussaint was booked, processed and held on a $443 bond.

--Nikki Caruso, 35, Oneal Chube Street, Franklin, was arrested at 8:58 a.m. Saturday on a charge of theft of utility service. Caruso was booked, processed and held on a $1,500 bond.

--Clayton Johnson, 37, Oxford Loop, Franklin, was arrested at 10:30 a.m. Sunday on a charge of disturbing the peace (intoxication). Johnson was booked, processed and released on a $368 bond.

--Juvenile was arrested 11 a.m. Sunday on a charge of simple battery.

Crews from FPUA of Fort Pierce, Florida, were busy replacing a utility pole Monday near the state Office of Motor Vehicles location on Morgan City's Victor II Boulevard. While power to most of east St. Mary was restored by Saturday, some isolated areas were still blacked out. The OMV office had no power Monday, and service to J.S. Aucoin Elementary wasn't restored until Sunday night. Aucoin remained closed Monday even as other parish public schools reopened. Classes at Aucoin are now set to return Tuesday.

The Review/Bill Decker