If a storm similar to Hurricane Rita had made landfall at Freshwater Bayou, the parking lots of Lowes and Wal-Mart in New Iberia would have had 5 feet of water over them and the city would have flooded from its southern-most portions up to the Bayou Teche.

That is an example Maurice Wolcott used to stress the importance of getting correct information about storm surge at the first of three public presentations, given to about 20 people on Thursday.

Wolcott, coastal GIS specialist with the LSU AgCenter and part of Louisiana Sea Grant, said other  misconceptions include that storm surge will not go past Interstate 10 (it has), that “it can’t happen here” and that levees will serve as protection.

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“These type of misconceptions can ruin people’s lives,” Wolcott said. “That’s why we started these programs.”

One point Wolcott emphasized is that Saffir-Simpson categories, which rank hurricanes “1” through “5”, are for wind-speed and are not directly correlated with storm surge, which many other factors affect. A storm slow in its approach over the Gulf of Mexico pushes more water inland than one with a fast approach, shallow water causes deeper storm surge than deep water and a wider storm is a “bigger broom” pushing water inland.

Wolcott said intense hurricane periods tend to come in cycles of high and low activity. The early 1970s to around 1990 were a low period.

Now, 12 of the last 14 years have been above average storm activity, he said, with 2005 setting a record with 28 named storms.

Answering a question from an audience member, Wolcott also said the canal being dredged from the gulf to the Port of Iberia could increase storm surge flooding in the area.

“If it can carry bigger ships and more water out, it can carry more water in,” he said, pointing to Delcambre and Erath.

Wolcott said Iberia, Vermilion and St. Mary parishes have been “very lucky” not to be ground zero for a storm surge event in recent decades.

Protect homes

Extension Associate with the LSU AgCenter Lucile “Cile” Guidry gave a presentation that included ways to protect homes against hurricanes, and tax and insurance incentives to do so.

Insurance for a structure at one flood below base flood elevation is more than three times more expensive than insurance at base flood elevation and six times more expensive than one foot above base flood elevation, according to one example Guidry gave.

One point both Guidry and Wolcott emphasized is it is possible to build homes resistant to flooding and high winds by building according to code.

“Everybody was upset about (the uniform construction code), but it saves lives, and that’s what matters,” said Guidry.

Wolcott also emphasized flood zones are lines created for insurance purposes.

“Mother Nature is not a statistician,” he said.

The bright side?

“Anywhere you live in this country there is probably disaster lurking around the corner,” he said, mentioning wildfires, mudslides, earthquakes, volcanoes, blizzards, avalanches, tornadoes and flooding. “Which one can you see coming? Have you ever seen an earthquake-proof house?”

Wolcott said the thing area residents need to fear is not vulnerability to hurricanes, but not educating themselves and not doing something to prepare.

“We are flat-landers by definition,” said New Iberia resident and audience member John Sagrera. “All these scenarios are highly possible, and these are the scenarios we live with. It’s up to each one of us to evaluate the risk of our safety and our property. You don’t worry, you just have to deal with it.”

Sagrera said he liked that the presentation gave facts.

“If you listen to the readers on the news, it’s always panic,” he said.

More seminars

The next seminars will be Tuesday at the St. Peter Street Branch in New Iberia at 1:30 p.m. and at 6 p.m. until closing. Guidry also showed audience members how to find their own home online and will be able to print out personalized maps at the next two sessions.

The presentations are put on at Iberia Parish library locations by the LSU AgCenter in conjunction with Louisiana Sea Grant, the United Way of Iberia Parish and the Iberia Parish Chamber of Commerce. The programs are free and open to the public. For information, contact Guidry at 654-2499 or lguidry@agcenter.lsu.edu or the United Way at 364-0424.

Web sites on which more information is available are www.lamappingproject.com and maps.lsuagcenter.com/windspeed_elevation.