THE
ACADIANA
ADVOCATE
HAPPY THANKSGIVING
T H E A C A D I A N A A D V O C AT E.C O M
|
T h u r s d ay, N ov e m b e r 27, 2025
$5.00X
THE RIVER’S RECKONING
The Bonnet Carre Spillway where it meets the Mississippi River, upriver from New Orleans STAFF PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD
THE MISSISSIPPI’s RISING PRESSURES
River safety valves have kept Louisiana dry, but that may no longer be enough through it. “We don’t control that Mississippi RivBY MIKE SMITH er,” says the owner of Gautier’s At The Harbor. He adds later: “If it’s not manStaff writer aged correctly, it can be catastrophic.” Gautier went years without oysters Beside the murky waters off Pass Christian, shrimp boats docked in the and only recently began to emerge from distance, David Gautier is worried about that hit to his business. The reason? a threat many miles away that he cannot They were killed off in 2019, the result of high Mississippi River water diverted control. Gautier, 64, runs a seafood business through the Bonnet Carre Spillway near on the waterfront of this historic town New Orleans. The fresh water and nutrient pollution along the Mississippi Gulf Coast. But his concern has less to do with his home that eventually inundated the Mississipstate than with neighboring Louisiana pi Sound wreaked havoc on the region’s — or, more precisely, the flow of the ecosystem and tourism industry. It is a water from the mighty river that runs dilemma that is only expected to worsen Last in a series
“We don’t control that Mississippi River. ... If it’s not managed correctly, it can be catastrophic.”
tect the New Orleans area from catastrophic flooding for nearly a century. But now there’s a problem — several of them, in fact, and they’re converging all at once. The Mississippi Gulf Coast’s protests over the use of one of those valves, the DAVID GAUTIER, owner of Bonnet Carre Spillway, have grown loudGautier’s At The Harbor er and led to lawsuits, particularly after record openings in 2019. The Morganza Spillway on the opposite side of the rivin the decades ahead due to projections er has been rarely used, but opening it showing more extreme weather, and its more frequently draws concern from implications range far beyond the Mis- landowners, residents and port operasissippi Coast. tions in its path. A series of giant safety valves along ä See RIVER, page 6A the Mississippi River have helped pro-
FEMA changes could impact La.
HANDS TOGETHER
BY MARK BALLARD
BY CLAIRE TAYLOR
WASHINGTON — The struggle over the federal government’s role when disaster strikes is coming to a head as President Donald Trump grapples with whether the Federal Emergency Management Agency should continue — and in what form. Trump’s Homeland Secretary chief Kristi Noem, who oversees FEMA, has a dramatically smaller vision of the
They come on foot, on bicycles, in cars and in wheelchairs, gathering around 5 p.m. almost every Thursday on a dead-end street near the main library in downtown Lafayette. Some are homeless, living on the streets or in local shelters. Some are housed but in need of food.
Group gathers to provide a hot meal
Staff writer
Staff writer
ä See FEMA, page 9A
WEATHER HIGH 65 LOW 42 PAGE 12A
Classified .....................4B Nation-World................2A Comics-Puzzles .....7C-9C Opinion ........................2B Commentary ................3B Sports ..........................1C Living............................5C
© D. YURMAN 2025
TO OUR READERS Today’s edition was printed early to accommodate readers who want their Thanksgiving edition in advance.you can find complete news and sports coverage online at theadvocate.com.
PHOTO By ROBIN MAy
Liz Savoy and a group of friends serve meals to Lafayette’s homeless in the parklet behind the Lafayette Parish Library.
Within 45 minutes on Nov. 20, 76 people are served a hot meal like pork roast and gravy over grits or barbecue ribs, with side dishes, dessert, water, a snack and fruit, all for free. The prior week, more than 90 people were fed. “This is a blessing. They’re wonderful,” Amber Burr, a homeless woman, said on Nov. 20. Several years ago, a college student, Lianne Dick, concerned that Lafayette’s homeless people were going hungry, loaded a backpack
AVA I L A B L E AT
ä See MEAL, page 9A
101ST yEAR, NO. 150