Sulphur's Storm Record, and the Moisture It Can Leave Behind
Three hurricanes in fifteen years put water into Sulphur houses through rain, wind-driven leaks and flooding. Here's the record, and what it means inside a home today.
Sulphur took Hurricane Rita in 2005, with 9.49 inches of rain in town; Hurricane Laura on August 27, 2020, whose eye passed over the city as a Category 4; and Hurricane Delta six weeks later, which tore off temporary roofs and flooded homes in Calcasieu Parish (NHC, NWS Lake Charles).
Rita, September 2005
Rita came ashore just west of Johnson's Bayou as a Category 3 on September 24, 2005. Sulphur recorded 9.49 inches of storm-total rain, and storm surge moved up the Calcasieu River (National Hurricane Center). Lake Charles saw sustained winds around 70 mph with gusts over 100 mph (NWS Lake Charles). More than half of Sulphur's homes were built before 1980 (U.S. Census), so more than half of the houses in town have been through Rita as well as the 2020 storms.
Laura and Delta, fall 2020
Laura made landfall at Cameron around 1 a.m. on August 27, 2020, with 150 mph sustained winds. Its eye and eyewall passed over the whole Lake Charles metro, Sulphur included, and a WeatherFlow station in Sulphur measured 90-knot sustained winds with a gust to 115 knots (NWS Lake Charles; NHC). On October 9, Delta landed near Creole, about 10 nautical miles east of Laura's landfall. It blew away temporary roofs installed after Laura, and the NHC reports significant flash flooding in Calcasieu Parish, with several homes severely damaged.
How much of the parish is high flood risk?
According to the Calcasieu Parish Police Jury, 46% of Calcasieu Parish lies in a high-risk flood hazard area. Your own lot's flood zone is shown on your survey or the FEMA flood map, and it's worth knowing before you decide how to handle a wet floor or lower wall.
What should you check in a house that's been through these storms?
- Ceilings under old roof repairs: new stains, or old ones that grow after heavy rain.
- The attic deck: dark patches or soft spots near where the roof was patched or replaced.
- Baseboards and lower walls in rooms that took water: swelling, peeling paint or a musty smell.
- Ducts and the air handler: systems that sat in a wet house and were never opened.
- Anything wet for more than 48 hours now: dry it fast, because mold can start in a day or two.
Read about attic and roof-leak mold if the trouble is overhead, or mold in air ducts if it's in the vents. If you're already seeing growth, the Sulphur mold removal prices show what each job runs.
Ask for a free mold inspection in Sulphur
Describe what you're seeing or smelling. A local mold specialist who works in Sulphur will phone you to pick a time.