Simons from Forked Island remember Hurricane RIta

On Sept. 24, 2005, Hurricane Rita made landfall in the extreme portion of southwest Louisiana between Sabine Pass and Holly Beach. This hurricane was the strongest ever recorded in the Gulf of Mexico, as a Category 5 storm with peak winds of 180 miles per hour. Thankfully, the storm weakened into a Category 3 with sustained winds of 120 mph at landfall. In Cameron Parish, the effects were devastating with wind gusts up to 180 mph and storm surge reaching 15 feet. Closer to home, southern Vermilion Parish was inundated by the storm surge of 10 feet destroying much of Pecan Island, Henry and Intracoastal City. The flooding reached as far north as Cow Island and Erath.
With the 10-year anniversary of Rita approaching next month, Forked Island residents Conrad and Yvonne Simon remember the aftereffects of the storm all too well. Not only did their home flood for Rita, but it flooded a second time three years later when Hurricane Ike caused another storm surge to inundate the area.
On Wednesday, Sept. 21 – three days ahead of landfall – Vermilion Parish residents south of the Forked Island Bridge were ordered to evacuate by noon on the following day.
The Simons and their family, including two daughters who were evacuees from New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina’s landfall some three weeks prior, sought refuge in Lafayette. At that time, the storm’s predicted path was Corpus Christi, Texas so the Simons were not particularly worried.
The Simon’s home, and the surrounding Flying J Ranch where Conrad worked as a rice farmer and cattle rancher, received less than two inches of rain from the storm. Their foreman, Ricky Uriegas, was the first to arrive the morning after Rita passed. He was on the phone with Yvonne, around 9 a.m. on September 25th, when a Sherriff Officer drove up and ordered him to get to higher land because the storm surge was approaching. Ricky reported to the Simons that he was pushed back to higher land in stages as the water continued to rise. Yvonne recalls, “He had to go to the Intercoastal Canal, but he saw the canal fill up. So then they had him move back to the Curve Lounge and they could see the water coming across the pastures. So he had to move again to Five Oaks. The water still kept coming, so they made him move to Suire’s. He said that it was really creepy to witness.”
Yvonne’s brother rented a helicopter to fly them over their home to survey the damages. Conrad remembers how as soon as the helicopter cleared the tree line in Abbeville, there was water as far as the eye could see. In fact, someone inside the helicopter commented, “You’re looking at the Gulf of Mexico, right here.”
The Simons' home, which lies roughly two miles south of the Forked Island Bridge, sustained two feet of standing water. Inside, the results were devastating. The family lost most of their possessions, including family albums and video footage as well as Yvonne’s great-aunt’s trunk that dated back to 1890.
The ranch had suffered the loss of 12 cattle, as well as their rice crop. The surrounding yard, including the ranch, suffered two feet of standing water due to the protection levee being breached. It took approximately two months to completely drain. The water contained fish, such as flounder, as well as the carcasses of dead animals which would float into the fence line. Deer, calves, and billy goats – Conrad would have to wade out into the water and push the rotting animals out into the pastures, just to have the waves carry them right back to the fence line.
Despite having hurricane insurance, their policy refused to cover damages as they were sustained by a storm surge rather than the actual hurricane itself. Conrad warns, “Make sure to read your homeowner’s insurance policy. It is very important.”
As a result, the Simons had to pay for all their repairs out of pocket. They had to cut out the bottom portion of the walls, as well as the floors, and replace them – along with changing out cabinets, furniture, and carpeting. Since he was unable to continue farming, Conrad had to get a job offshore leaving Yvonne behind to handle the repairs. He recalls, “The first year after Rita, Yvonne spent every week day on the phone to FEMA or some agency associated with them, sometimes up to eight hours a day.” He also remembers how instrumental Jonathan Perry’s office was in acting as a go between with FEMA.
In their mid-fifties at this time, it was difficult for the Simons to adjust to their situation. For the first few weeks after the storm, the Simons stayed with family. Eventually, they received a FEMA trailer but even then their problems were far from over. The trailer arrived covered in mold and there were 17 violations that an inspector eventually discovered, including faucets that had been installed upside down and squirted water upward when turned on! When the trailer arrived, hauled in from Lake Charles, Yvonne recalls, “We saw the condition it was in, and we just broke down crying.” Eventually, the Simons were brought a nicer unit although it still contained some electrical issues.
The Simons wanted to elevate their home, but were denied permission to do so since their home was not officially in a flood zone. In fact, their home was not on the official Vermilion Parish map at all! Yvonne’s parents’ home, located just across the highway from them, was the last home listed on the map. Every home thereafter, all the way through Pecan Island, was not recorded at all.
The effects of Hurricane Rita caused major disruption in the lives of the Simon family for over a year following the event. By the early part of 2008, their lives were finally returning to normal. Conrad had the soil retested, and had begun to plow in preparation for planting the following year. When Hurricane Gustav formed in late August of that year, Yvonne remembers being filled with such anxiety. The Simons were not taking any chances, they packed up their family and belongings and evacuated to Dallas. The storm, however, did not impact this region as expected. So, when Hurricane Ike threatened the area the very next week, the Simons felt more confident and decided to only travel to Lafayette as they had for Rita three years previously.
Unfortunately, Hurricane Ike had a similar impact as Rita on Forked Island, and the Simons once again found their home flooded. It was a sense of déjà vu for the entire area, and the Simons were traumatized having to face this ordeal a second time. This time, the waterline settled at 18 inches inside their home but they were faced with an even bigger issue - mold. For Hurricane Rita, the proceeding weather was hot and dry; but the weather following Ike was humid which created conditions ideal for the growth of mold. This time around, the Simons had flood insurance which made them ineligible to receive a FEMA trailer. Therefore, Yvonne had to remain in Lafayette with family and commute daily to see about the house repairs. Due to the mold, more extensive repairs had to be completed to bring the house up to code.
By this point, the area flood maps had been updated so the Simons were able to apply for permission to elevate their home. It took until May of 2009 to have their request granted – however, it was then delayed due to the possibility of their house residing upon an Indiana burial mound. “The state had to send representatives of an Indian tribe to officially check it out, but it was eventually cleared.” Yvonne recalls.
In August of 2009, the Simons paid to have their house elevated 12 feet from the floor of their home. They were a part of a government program where the homeowners paid the expense out of pocket, and were then reimbursed at a later date. However, in November of 2009, they received a letter stating that the house’s elevation was not in compliance and their money would not be refunded. It seems that the house must be elevated 12 feet not from the floor, but from the foundational pillars below the house. This was not stated in the first letter received. Therefore, technically the Simons were off by 18 inches.
In all, about 3,000 residents along the Louisiana coast were found to be noncompliant with the new regulations and as a result were unable to receive compensation for the elevations already completed. Thankfully, in January of 2010, the government grandfathered in the elevation on the Simon’s home – as well as others in the region – and refunded their incurred costs. Today, the Simon’s home stands at officially 10.5 feet above the ground. Conrad states, “If the water ever gets to this height, then Kaplan will surely be flooded.”
Today, Conrad is back to maintaining the ranch although he was never able to resume farming. The land their home and the ranch are situated on, 2500 acres total, was purchased by Yvonne’s grandfather in the 1920’s for two cents an acre. Despite the traumatic experiences of the past, the Simons plan to remain here for the foreseeable future. Yvonne remarks, “It is wonderful living out here. Getting to see the wild life, being able to hunt and fish. It is so peaceful and quiet, and it was a wonderful place to raise our kids.” The Simons, now in their mid-sixties, have three children and six grandchildren.