ERATH, La. (KLFY) – By the start of the next school year, a flood wall will wrap around Erath High School and Erath Middle School protecting them from potential flood waters.

The recent flood was quite a scare for Erath High School.

“It was nerve-racking to know that we had the possibility of losing all these things in the classroom and the fact that the wall is coming up makes us feel a lot better,” said Marc Turner, Erath High School Principal.

Erath High received 27 inches of water after the recent flood. Dozier Elementary; however, was protected by a cement wall.

“If it was not for the wall and the floodgates, I think we would have had a couple of feet of water,” said Karla Toups, Principal of Dozier Elementary.

Dozier Elementary Principal Karla Toups said the Parish and FEMA decided to build a flood wall and pumping system after the school flooded during hurricane Rita.

Toups said the five-foot wall has been a blessing ever since.

“In the past when there was an upcoming hurricane, prior to evacuating teachers would have to move everything off the ground. Since we do have this wall we do not have to worry about lifting anything off the floor. The wall does everything for us.”

The school board has built two more flood walls in the parish and is currently constructing another one around Erath High and Erath Middle.

Erath High Principal Marc Turner said the community was skeptical at first.

“With the idea of having a wall around the entire school, many people frowned upon it.”

But after the recent flood, Turner said the benefits are clear.

“Just like everything else in life you have pros and cons and when you look at the benefits of having this wall to protect our students and the instruction, it’s something everybody wants especially now that the flood happened the first day of school.”

The wall costs about three million dollars and is estimated to take 18 months to construct.