(The following story by Stephanie Kirk appeared on the Opetousas Daily World website on September 1.)
EUNICE. La. — The city seems to be back to normal, but residents still remember the train wreck and chemical spill on May 27, 2000, because it changed their lives forever.
Lynn Gil of Eunice spent Tuesday reading a book at the Eunice Lake to calm her mind. The lake is located next the railroad track where the derailment took place.
“I came here – the place that caused me the most trauma – for peace,” said Gil, who now suffers from anxiety and has a son who is afraid of the sight of smoke.
Fire and smoke were all around when a Union Pacific Train derailed and exploded near the town just over four years ago. Railroad accident reports indicate 33 of the 113 cars making up the east bound Union Pacific Railroad train derailed, and 15 of them contained hazardous materials. The lake was closed shortly after the derailment.
Gil and her family are among the 12,273 people who filed claims and stand to gain financially after a lawsuit settlement was reached this week. They will eventually divide about $39 million after lawyers take a 40 percent fee cut. A federal judge has approved the Union Pacific Railroad settlement of $65 million, but attorneys say it may still be a while before anybody receives a pay out.
The claims may not amount to more that $3,000 per person depending on the amount of damage each resident sustained.
Gil’s family was affected by the blast financially because her husband owned a diesel mechanic shop, which lost business because of the mass evacuation.
“Half the town shut down and we were confined to our houses. I wanted to leave town so bad,” she said.
About 3,000 in all were evacuated.
Dr. Gary Lafleur of Eunice was not able to get to his beloved horses because of the accident.
“I remember they did not get any water for two days because I could not get to them for about 48 hours,” said Lafleur as he looked after his horses Tuesday just a mile away from where the incident occurred.
Lafleur lived across town and was prohibited by road blocks from coming near the ranch where his horses are raised.
Eunice Pastor Danny Ortego was home having lunch with his family that day when he heard a loud boom that rattled his storm doors.
“We went outside and saw big mushroom clouds,” said Ortego, who pastors Lighthouse Christian Center off US 190, just blocks from where the trail derailment took place.
Ortego said the church was untouched by the blast.
But he, Gil and Lafluer are among the many that had to endure the hardship of life in Eunice days after the derailment and chemical spill.
They hope this week’s settlement will help ease some of the pain the city went through.