Because it straddles the western edge of Iberia Parish, Delcambre was geographically closest to Hurricane Rita's Category 3 winds. It is also sits about 12 miles north of Vermilion Bay.
Iberia Parish Sheriff Sid Hebert said this morning that Delcambre still has no electricity or water, but that residents not flooded can come back in today -- if they can -- to check on their belongings. However, they must only remain a brief while.
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"We're asking that the only things people come in to get are personal items," Hebert said. "Some of Delcambre still has water in it. They'll be able to have contact with their leadership, but most important is connecting people to services. Right now, there is no service: No water, no natural gas, no electricity."
He said "it may be a while before we get those services.
"So, to those citizens in Delcambre, we highly encourage them to move out pretty quickly. The mayor probably is going to have a nighttime curfew."
Sunday morning, the shrimp-industry mainstay was submerged after the Delcambre Canal overflowed from the surge of Rita's stronger, northeastern portion of the storm. By late afternoon Sunday waters were receding a bit, said Iberia Parish President Will Langlinais, who flew over the area in an Army helicopter.
"Yes, they absolutely, without a doubt, got hammered hard," Langlinais said.
Even the railroad that runs parallel to hill-side high Louisiana 14 -- the latter of which was also supposed to act as a levee -- failed in its role as a mini-levee.
"That railroad was going to act as a levee system," Langlinais said.
"However, it (floodwater) came over that and over all the way to Lake Peigneur. That had to be one heck of a surge."
Calls to Broussard at City Hall only garnered the "fast" busy signal, evidence that land lines were either down or submerged. Langlinais said he was meeting with the mayor later today.
"I've seen all the video, and we've had the same thing in Delcambre and other areas (below U.S. 90 and Louisiana 14)," Langlinais said.
"We're meeting with the Delcambre mayor today. He's got no water, no electricity, so people have nothing to go back to except their flooded homes. He's going to have to flush all those lines, purge all those lines. He's got a major job on his hands."
Delcambre had been under mandatory evacuation orders since Thursday.
Most residents left. Some, however, stayed.
One man, Haley Daigle, told The Daily Iberian Thursday afternoon that he was staying with his boat. No official word on him, but Langlinais predicted he might have made it. But he could only guess.
"If he was in one of those shrimps boats, maybe," Langlinais said. "We (with the U.S. Army) flew over Delcambre Canal, (Sunday), and the water is receding."
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