PARISH AGAIN LENDS A HELPING HAND
Boil Order, Curfew Lifted

By William Johnson, wjohnson@dailyworld.com  

September 27, 2005 -

Police, prisoners and national guard troops worked with mechanical precision in Opelousas Monday to bring ice, water and food to people suffering from the effects of Hurricane Rita.

Four 18-wheelers loaded with supplies arrived in the St. Landry Parish Plaza parking lot Monday morning and by noon were already half empty.

"Next," cried out Opelousas Police Chief Larry Caillier, literally throwing 24-bottle packs of water into the trunks or back seats of a seemingly endless line of cars. "Keep the line moving. Let's go, let's go people."

Others in the line gave each car a case of military field rations and two bags of ice as it drove past.

"It's very bad at my house. We have trees down all over," said Mary Johnson of Opelousas, who came looking for water. "We've had no power since Saturday."

Loubertha Hall, also of Opelousas, had a house full of Lake Charles evacuees to worry about, so she waited in line with everybody else.

"They have been coming in since Thursday. I've got nine adults and three babies," said Hall, who was primarily looking for ice and water. "I'm cooking up two big pots of beans for them."

Relief center re-opens

The St. Landry Parish Office of Emergency Management says the local emergency relief center located in the old Wal-Mart building on the west side of I-49 a few blocks south of Creswell Lane, is scheduled to reopen at 9 a.m. Wednesday. That center has free food, clothing and other relief supplies for evacuees. The center had been closed as Rita neared the area.