Disaster Strikes Acadian Museum

Disaster Strikes Acadian Museum (photos)

The Acadian Museum of Erath and its annex on Lake Pigneur was flooded by waters from Hurricane Rita. On Sunday September 25, 2005, the US Marines provided the man power and use of their truck to enter the floodwaters covering town of Erath, the Erath Fire Deptartment , with the help of Erath Mayor George Dupuis, and Erath Chief of Police Steve Peltier (and some good Samaritans), museum directors Warren Perrin, Mary Perrin and Jean Ouellet led an effort that successfully "rescued" the priceless Queen's Royal Proclamation, whereby Queen Elizabeth for the first time in history acknowledged the wrongs done to the Acadian people during the Acadian Deportation in 1755. Along with removing the Proclamation, the rescue effort managed to also save a truck load of museum artifacts, including priceless photographs, clothing, materials and maps from the Acadian Museum of Erath. The artifacts and materials are safely stored in the Lafayette home of Warren and Mary Perrin where they are being dehumidified under the direction of the Louisiana State Archive's, including Director Dr. Florent Hardy and Doug Harrison and UL Art Museum's Joyce Penn. Photographs of the rescue are on the Acadian Museum website. Museum employees and directors are making futher arrangements to continue retriving and preserving the remaining materials which are threathened by exposure to the elements exposure to heat and dampness, both which promote the growth of mold and mildew.. Maintaince Suprivisor of the museum, Ron Miguez, is organizing the effort to remove the water, debris and sediment form the building. Anyone wishing to volunteer with the preservation efforts are asked to call Darylin Barrousse at 337-237-8500.

From Warren Perrin in Erath

Good to hear from you. DL was lucky not to have water in his house; it came within 2 inches. We had major damage in the Acadian Museum--loss about 2000 books and files etc. The French Ambassador to the US came for a visit on Sat. We are seeking donations. There were stories in the Morning Advocate (Sept. 29th "Erath, Delcanbre..") and Sunday's Advertiser (Recusing pieces of Acadian's past) about the US Marines helping us save the most impt. materials. Visit our web site and you will be able to find out more info. to send to your friends and readers. It should be on the site in a day or so.

Warren A. Perrin

Some Rita pictures from SW Louisiana

Josh LeBlanc has pictures of the flooding in Vermilion Parish.

"In Vermilion Parish, they didn't wait for the cavalry"

Cajuns roll up sleeves, hustle to save their lifeblood.

So, as Hurricane Rita turned homes into swamps, roads into waterways and fences into memories, the cattlemen and rice growers, oil workers and alligator farmers of Vermilion Parish didn't need government to tell them what to do: They launched rescue boats from front yards and high-water trucks to pull their neighbors to safety.

And as the tidal surge receded, they advanced, using airboats, trucks and horses to round up thousands of stranded, loose cows and bulls, fighting to keep the livestock – their livelihood – from plunging off the high road into submerged sidetracks.