▁with ▁the ▁passage ▁of ▁a ▁bill ▁in ▁June ▁ 1 9 0 8 . ▁E un ice ▁and ▁Ville ▁Pl atte ▁were ▁in ▁competition ▁for ▁the ▁parish ▁seat , ▁and ▁Ville ▁Pl atte ▁was ▁selected ▁by ▁vot ers ▁on ▁April ▁ 1 2 , ▁ 1 9 0 9 . ▁After ▁the ▁election , ▁E un ice ▁declared ▁it ▁would ▁remain ▁in ▁St . ▁Land ry ▁Par ish . ▁ ▁In ▁May ▁ 2 0 0 0 ▁a ▁chemical ▁fre ight ▁train ▁der a iled ▁in ▁E un ice , ▁sp illing ▁numerous ▁ha z ard ous ▁chemical s ▁and ▁causing ▁about ▁ 1 5 ▁tank ▁cars ▁to ▁expl ode ▁and ▁burn ; ▁approximately ▁ 3 , 5 0 0 ▁residents ▁of ▁the ▁town ▁were ▁ev acu ated ▁for ▁as ▁many ▁as ▁five ▁days . ▁Over ▁ 1 0 , 0 0 0 ▁residents ▁settled ▁in ▁May ▁ 2 0 0 4 ▁for ▁$ 6 5 ▁million ▁with ▁the ▁Union ▁Pacific ▁Corporation ▁in ▁a ▁class ▁action ▁suit , ▁claim ing ▁that ▁the ▁corpor ation ▁had ▁failed ▁to ▁repair ▁a ▁defect ive ▁section ▁of ▁track . ▁ ▁Geography ▁According ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Census ▁Bureau , ▁the ▁city ▁has ▁a ▁total ▁area ▁of ▁ 4 . 7   square ▁miles ▁( 1 2 . 1   km ² ), ▁all ▁land . ▁ ▁Cl imate ▁The ▁climate ▁in ▁this ▁area ▁is ▁character ized ▁by ▁hot , ▁hum id ▁sum mers ▁and ▁generally ▁m ild ▁to ▁cool ▁winter s . ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁the ▁Kö