Daughter bitter that Hurricane Hilda took her father from her

Hurricane Hilda took something away from Josie Brown Arceneaux that no one has been able to replace 50 years later.
Arceneaux was a young, happy 21-year-old female planning for her wedding.
But her life and others changed in a matter of seconds when the water tower fell on eight men located in Erath City Hall on Oct. 3, 1964.
Joseph Camile “Joe” Brown was a former sheriff’s deputy, city councilman and mayor pro tempore for Erath. He was in city hall helping operate the citizen band (CB) radios as the storm approached. Brown and seven others died when 44,000 gallons of water fell on top of them.
He was 50 years old at the time, and he left behind two girls and a wife.
“It was rough growing up without my dad,” Arceneaux said. “My dad was a giving person. He was helpful. Everyone liked him. It was tough.”
She would be married six months after his death and walked down the church isle by her Godfather.
That tragic day, Joe Brown stayed in Erath to help in preparation for the hurricane. His wife and two daughters left for Lafayette.
Arceneaux heard the tragic news on the radio about the water tower falling, but she was the only one in the house who heard. Her family did not believe her until she called relatives, who also heard the news.
“When I heard, I feared for my dad,” she said. “I talked to my dad at 2 p.m. and he asked when we will be coming home. He also told me to take care.”
The last family member to talk to Joe was Monsignor Charles Dubois, who spoke to him at 4 p.m. that day. Joe described the weather as dark to Monsignor Dubois despite it being late afternoon.
There were no cell phones in 1964, but there were land lines. Arceneaux called the Bank of Erath, hoping someone would answer and tell her if anyone were injured. Steve [Granger], an ambulance driver, was near the phone and answered
“I know he was in shock, and he could not tell us at the time,” said Arceneaux. “It was not until the next morning that we learned it was my dad.”
Louise Brown, her aunt, came to meet the family in Lafayette and drove them back to Erath.
Service was held at the same church for the eight men. The eight caskets were on display despite no electricity in the church. She remembers all of the people attending.
This past Sunday in Erath, those memories came back when she and her family attended a special ceremony dedicated to the eight men who died.
Arceneaux was emotional when she began watching the video and saw pictures of the collapsed water tower.
“I was emotional. I am so thankful for them, Stacy [Bodin], Robert [Vincent] and others,” she said. “I am grateful they remembered all these people.”