LAFOURCHE PARISH, La. — 35 long days. That’s how long Roddy Lerille found himself living at the Houma-Terrebonne Civic Center, managing the bayou’s supplies for survival, after Hurricane Ida tore his home parish apart.
All parish employees have specific emergency posts to help when a hurricane or other disaster is looming. As the Director of Parks and Recreation, Lerille’s was the Civic Center.
He had no idea he’d be thrust into a position as an anchor for the community, running the supply distribution that thousands depended on for survival.
“A whole year, wow,” Lerille, sitting in the Civic Center a year later said, “That’s hard to wrap your brain around thinking about it.”
We first introduced you to Roddy Lerille days after Hurricane Ida, when the Civic Center had become a distribution center last year.
Even with extensive damage to their own homes, he and some other parish employees worked more than a month straight, receiving and unloading 18-wheelers full of supplies and coordinating with the National Guard to get the supplies to points down the bayou.
“At the beginning we were working 20 hours a day at least to try to get everything straight, you know,” said Lerille. “Before the National Guard arrived, the parish employees and the civic center employees … we were handling the distribution of whatever we had, just us.”
Lerille said he wishes he could have kept notes during that time, of what was happening and how often trucks were coming. He said some nights he’d fall asleep around midnight, just to get a call at four in the morning that a new truck of supplies was pulling in and ready to unload.
Lerille said he took away some big lessons from his 35 days at the Civic Center.
“I just think about it a lot. I think about the people that just stepped up to the plate and drove in from California, Chicago, you know, I think about the girl that filled up her U-Haul and brought it down here. people that just poured out their hearts and just gave and gave and gave.”
One year later, his department is still managing the mess. Five of the parish’s 17 gymnasiums won’t be usable for at least another year.
Even some of the outdoor facilities Lerille manages need extensive repair. Hurricane Ida knocked down outdoor light poles for fields across the parish. With insurance hurdles, they still haven’t been replaced.
The issues have shortened the seasons for many student athletes across the parish.
“I would say [things are] improving, but improving at a snail’s pace,” he said.
But every time Lerille visits one of those facilities, he sees the damage. And he sees the big picture.
“There’s thousands of people that’s still in need,” he said. “Very. very tough situation for a lot of people down in this area.”
He said housing is the biggest issue.
The Civic Center itself sustained at least two million dollars in damage.
But Roddy said if he gets the call this year, he’ll be ready, and building on the lessons learned 365 days ago.
“This is where I’ll be,” Lerille laughed. “I promise you that. I’ll be here. If you need to find me, this is where I’ll be.”
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