Man ferries supplies through flood waters to neighbors

MAUREPAS, LA (WAFB) - Roads in Livingston Parish are still flooded in places, but on Monday some people in the Maurepas and Head of Island areas were able to wade through and see the damage. One man who never left said he stayed to make sure his neighbors' homes were safe.

Water that had covered sections of the roads near LA 22 are still wet in places. But, residents added it looks like the water has gone down 10 to 11 inches. While some are driving through, boats are still what most are using to get around.

Charlie Morgan has lived in the area for two years. Since the storm last Wednesday, he's been navigating the waters every day, checking on his neighbors as he goes. He now calls his barge the 'Supply Ship.' It's loaded with bottles and jugs of water, canned goods, cans of gas and other supplies the fire department and churches have given him to take around.

"I feel sorry for that man," Morgan said pointing out one neighbor. "Saved his lawn mower and lost his house. Nobody ever thought it'd get this way. See that car. It flooded it."

Morgan has watched helicopters fly over daily. He has seen picnic tables pass him by and trees split houses.

"I mean, it's kind of hard to look at places and think what people got to come back to. But, they got something to come back to," he added.

As for him, he said his house is dry. But just in case, he loaded up the one thing he wanted to save, a hibiscus plant from his mother.

"She loved that plant," he said.

With most of his neighbors gone, he's been watching their homes. But, they should soon be back.

"The worst part is gone. The hard part is coming... cleanup and all the fish kill," Morgan explained.

He said this is all part of the territory that comes with living on the river.

"We chose to live down here. One time a year you get a problem. The other 11 months, we're having a ball," he said.

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