When Harold Terrance found a small plot of land for sale in New Roads, Louisiana, just a couple of miles from the west bank of the Mississippi River, it seemed too good to be true. It was 1969, and he was 19 years old, living on what he calls the “sharecropping side” of the False River. But by the time Terrance graduated high school, the days of tenant farming had come to an end and he was looking for land of his own.
Harold Terrance outside his home. Photo by the author
Pecan Acres during the floods of August 2016. Photo courtesy of Pointe Coupee Parish Government
A Pecan Acres home today (photo by the author) and during the August 2016 flood (courtesy of Pointe Coupee Parish Government).
A Pecan Acres home, damaged by the floods of 2016 and 2017. Photo by the author
A Pecan Acres home during the August 2016 floods. Photo courtesy of Pointe Coupee Parish Government
Flood waters touching the undercarriage of vehicles in August 2016. Photo courtesy of Pointe Coupee Parish Government
The community has long suffered from an inadequate drainage system. Photo by the author