Officials in Iberia Parish and New Iberia were busy Tuesday dealing with the after effects of two consecutive days of record-breaking rainfall in Iberia Parish.

The National Weather Service measured 6.71 inches of total rainfall for Monday and Tuesday. Beginning at midnight on Monday 3.93 inches fell, followed by an additional 2.78 inches on Tuesday, said Mike Griffin, meteorologist in Lake Charles. The highest levels in Iberia Parish occurred between New Iberia and Franklin.

According to National Weather Service meteorologists in Lake Charles, 4.94 inches of rain fell on the parish between 9 p.m. and 3:30 a.m. The heavy amount of rain was caused by a stalled front over the region, resulting in extensive flooding in some low-lying areas.

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Residents of the Shelton Spencer Loop neighborhood found water either at their doorsteps or in their homes, depending on the elevation of their houses. David Estelle said the water rose to his doorstep before stopping, a level of water he has not seen for a while.

“It never even got this bad when Hurricane Katrina hit,” Estelle said. “We got water then, but it never got this high. We had to put things in front of our door to keep it out, when usually it’s just at the edge of the road or into the yard.”

Shelton Boutte Sr., president of the Shelton Loop Neighborhood Association, said flooding is a continual problem that has yet to be addressed by the city. The association raised about $1 million before Hurricane Gustav and asked for help from the city for more funding, Boutte said.

“Every time we get rain, it floods,” Boutte said. “The last time this happened we got together with the city and got together some money for four pump stations, but nothing’s been done.”

Boutte said the last time the neighborhood flooded he threatened to sue the city if it ever flooded again.

“And here we are again,” Boutte said.

Brandi Thibodeaux said she woke up at 4:30 a.m. Tuesday at her David Braquet Drive home in Loreauville and stood in 2 to 3 inches of water.

“I just cried,” she said.

Thibodeaux then called her mother to come and get her and her 4-year-old son Haiden. Thibodeaux said she and her neighbor’s house and the house across the street were flooded.

She said the last time her house flooded was with Hurricane Gustav. She attributed the flooding this time to a nearby canal.

“The canal in the back,” she said, “they don’t take care of it and dredge it out like they’re supposed to.”

In other parts of Iberia Parish, Fire Chief Guy Bonin and Iberia Parish Fire District No. 1 were kept busy. Their day began at 4:30 a.m. when the department received a rescue call from a home near Norris Road, where they evacuated a woman and her children.

They remained busy as the day continued.

“We had eight calls of wires shorting under houses,” Bonin said. “Luckily we could see most of them from where we stood, so we were able to turn off the electricity.”

The firefighters then called the power company, he said, which came in to turn off all power.

Cleco representative Robbyn Cooper confirmed the company received calls from the authorities to discontinue power and urged residents to disconnect breakers — if that can be done safely — and to use caution in homes with water inside them.

Parish President Ernest Freyou signed an Emergency Declaration Tuesday morning.

The parish is gathering information for damage assessments, Freyou said, and residents and business owners are asked to report any flood damage to their homes or businesses to the Iberia Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness.

Prescott Marshall, director of the Office of Emergency Preparedness, said about 25 people contacted his office about the flooding on Tuesday, but until personnel get out and look at homes they cannot determine the extent of damage.

“What we really track is water getting into people’s homes,” Marshall said. “We drove around (Tuesday) and will go around (today). We see the water receding quickly.”

The Iberia Red Cross reported 15 homes with water and a number of individuals called the office reporting the same, but there was no time Tuesday to cross-reference the numbers for a final determination, Marshall said.

Ten roads in the parish were closed Tuesday due to high water, but were continuing to drain by the end of the day, Marshall said. Reports of motorists ignoring roadblocks resulted in at least one call to the Iberia Parish Sheriff’s Office.

Marshall spoke with the National Weather Service throughout the day Tuesday and was told that a cold front moving in today will change wind direction, further aiding in pushing water toward the Gulf of Mexico.

The Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness will determine the number of homes damaged by flooding as representatives tour the parish again today.