Broussard, LA Water Damage Repair and Storm Cleanup

Before it was Broussard, this ridge east of Lafayette was called Côte Gelée, or Frozen Hill, a name tied to its raised terrain and a brutal winter in 1784. The community was named for merchant Valsin Broussard in 1884, and today it stretches across 18 square miles of Lafayette and St. Martin parishes along U.S. 90, with oil and gas service companies, food distributors and fast-growing subdivisions sharing the same drainage.

The slight elevation helps, but it does not make the city immune to the region's heavy rain, Gulf storms and everyday leaks. The Restoration Job is a free connection service: call (888) 317-9980 and we'll connect you with an independent restoration provider that serves homes and businesses in Broussard.

Two Parishes, One Rainstorm

Because Broussard sits across the Lafayette and St. Martin parish line, emergency information and flood maps can come from more than one government. Both parishes, along with Iberia, were among the 20 that received federal disaster declarations after the August 2016 floods. In Lafayette Parish that event dropped 12 to 26 inches of rain across the Vermilion River Basin, and flood insurance claims there eventually approached $200 million.

Look up your exact address on FEMA's flood map rather than assuming the zone of a neighbor across the road. Flood insurance is separate from a homeowners policy, and a heavy-rain event can push water into houses outside high-risk zones.

Lessons From Hurricane Lili at Broussard Elementary

Hurricane Lili made landfall near Intracoastal City on October 3, 2002. The National Weather Service storm report notes that the gymnasium roof at Broussard Elementary was peeled back, while a damage survey in neighboring Youngsville estimated 70 to 80 mph winds. Hurricane Delta's 2020 landfall produced a 75 mph gust in Lafayette.

Large, low-slope roofs on gyms, shops and metal warehouses are vulnerable to that kind of peeling, and once the membrane or panels lift, rain pours straight into the building. For commercial owners along U.S. 90, quick tarping, removal of soaked ceiling tile and insulation, and storm damage cleanup keep a roof repair from turning into inventory and equipment losses.

Historic Main Street and Older Buildings

Broussard's Main Street Historic District and a cluster of National Register houses, including the Billeaud House and the Valsin Broussard House, are a reminder that the city is older than its new subdivisions suggest. Older wood framing, plaster and original floors respond to water differently than new drywall: they can often be dried and saved rather than replaced, but they need slower, monitored drying to avoid cracking and warping.

Owners of older properties should ask a provider how they plan to dry historic materials and whether moisture mapping will guide the decision to remove anything. Saving original trim and flooring is often possible when the response is fast.

Getting a Broussard Property Dry

• Stop the source: shut the main valve for a plumbing leak, or tarp the roof once the wind has died down.
• Photograph the damage, then pull up wet rugs and set them outside.
• Keep stormwater and sewage-tainted water off your skin, and keep kids out.
• Clear leaves and debris from the storm drain and gutter in front of your property; the city's stormwater program asks residents to keep drains clear year-round.
• Have structural drying equipment placed and readings logged daily until framing and subfloors reach normal moisture.

Humid Air and Hidden Mold

Summers here are long, warm and damp, the kind of weather that keeps a soaked wall wet. The EPA says mold usually will not grow if wet materials are dried within 24 to 48 hours, and it recommends indoor humidity below 60 percent. After a storm knocks out power, that timeline is hard to meet, which is why so many post-storm calls involve odor and spotting a week later.

Check behind baseboards, inside lower cabinets and under carpet edges. Small spots on hard surfaces can be cleaned, but widespread growth, especially in commercial buildings with drop ceilings, calls for professional removal with containment.