Rain was (is) much needed

Thank you remnants of Hurricane Patricia — you put water in local crawfish ponds, saving farmers money on fuel for their water wells, and lifted the burn ban just in time for cooler temperatures and bonfires.
Vincent Deshotel, St. Landry Parish county agent with the LSU Ag Service, said, “For the most part, in general, the rain was much needed for the crop area. It really helped people who are flooding ponds for crawfish. Second crop rice is being harvested, but it will just slow them down a bit. Sugarcane farmers are in the meat of their harvest, and the rain will slow them down a little bit, too.”
“In Iota and the northeast corner of St. Landry Parish, the sweet potato growers will probably benefit, too. In the short term, the rain will condition the soil for harvest. Sweet potatoes skin and bruise easy when they are dry. When farmers can get into their fields to harvest, the rain will assist them with their harvest.”
Deshotel lives in the Vidrine/Mamou area, and he said that part of Evangeline Parish got at least 6 inches over the weekend.
“With the majority of harvesting in St. Landry Parish done, the rain is beneficial to us,” he said. “There are more positive impacts than negative impacts.”
The rain also brought an end to state and local burn bans.
Those looking to roast marshmallows over an open flame also benefitted from the wet weather. The State Fire Marshal’s Office and the Department of Agriculture and Forestry and St. Landry Parish Government lifted burn bans that had been in place for a few weeks.
State Fire Marshal H. “Butch” Browning, Jr. praised Louisiana’s residents for complying with the ban.
“While our agency responded to numerous calls involving violations of the ban, with several resulting in the issuance of monetary fines, I am appreciative of the fact that the vast majority of citizens heeded the ban and became more fire safety conscious,” Browning said in a news release.
“Although the severe weather is causing havoc across the state, the abundance of rainfall is welcome to reduce the excessive fire danger,” said Agriculture and Forestry Commissioner Mike Strain in a news release. “However, please be cautious and mindful of your own and your loved ones personal safety while the state deals with excessive rain and flooding.”