Aug. 29 marks two years since Hurricane Ida made landfall, devastating many communities in Southeast Louisiana.Jean Lafitte, in Jefferson Parish, was hit particularly hard. Mayor Tim Kerner Jr. told WDSU that in the immediate aftermath of the storm, he was unsure how his community would recover.”When that sun came up, I really thought to myself, ‘Can we survive this? Is there a tomorrow,'” Kerner said. Lafitte has come a long way since Ida. Many businesses have reopened and homes are being rebuilt. Kerner said his administration is also focused on strengthening the town’s infrastructure, including gas lines.A similar effort is underway for all of Jefferson Parish, especially Grand Isle. The coastal community saw significant damage to most of its structures and leaders have spent the two years since the storm rebuilding.Councilman Ricky Templet, who has a home in Grand Isle, said there are more than 150 building permits underway on the island currently.”(Those buildings are) being built back bigger and better than ever,” Templet said. “Let’s be clear, all the buildings that were built to new standards, national building code, survived the storm with minimal damage.”Building structures that can better withstand major hurricanes is also a goal in Lafourche Parish, where Ida made landfall in 2021.Parish President Archie Chaisson told WDSU that it continues to be a focus of recovery efforts there.”For example, maybe we ice and water shield our entire roof decks instead of just that felt paper, so when the shingles do come off during the storm, we’re not seeing that water seep in through our roof decks,” Chaisson said.The idea is to better protect homes and possibly, secure a discount on homeowner’s insurance in the process.Chaisson said a lack of affordable housing is another problem his parish is facing.”We still have some 700 people spread out in temporary housing across Lafourche Parish. It’s still a struggle,” Chaisson said. “I think at the height of it, we had some 3,000 to 4,000 people in temporary housing, so we’ve dwindled that number quite a bit over the last few years. That’s a positive sign.”Then, there is the ongoing struggle to secure funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to rebuild. In Lafitte, Kerner said the local high school is still closed because the money needed to repair it has not come through yet.”That school was devastated. Everyone knows it,” Kerner said. “This community doesn’t work without that high school, and it’s a high school (which has merit that) should put it at the top of a list and we need to get it back.”Meantime, local leaders are celebrating every step forward, thanking citizens who spearheaded those efforts.”People of Jean Lafitte, Lower Lafitte, Barataria, Crown Point, in the midst of their worst tragedy, they showed their greatest strength,” Kerner said.
Aug. 29 marks two years since Hurricane Ida made landfall, devastating many communities in Southeast Louisiana.
Jean Lafitte, in Jefferson Parish, was hit particularly hard.
Mayor Tim Kerner Jr. told WDSU that in the immediate aftermath of the storm, he was unsure how his community would recover.
“When that sun came up, I really thought to myself, ‘Can we survive this? Is there a tomorrow,'” Kerner said.
Lafitte has come a long way since Ida. Many businesses have reopened and homes are being rebuilt. Kerner said his administration is also focused on strengthening the town’s infrastructure, including gas lines.
A similar effort is underway for all of Jefferson Parish, especially Grand Isle. The coastal community saw significant damage to most of its structures and leaders have spent the two years since the storm rebuilding.
Councilman Ricky Templet, who has a home in Grand Isle, said there are more than 150 building permits underway on the island currently.
“(Those buildings are) being built back bigger and better than ever,” Templet said. “Let’s be clear, all the buildings that were built to new standards, national building code, survived the storm with minimal damage.”
Building structures that can better withstand major hurricanes is also a goal in Lafourche Parish, where Ida made landfall in 2021.
Parish President Archie Chaisson told WDSU that it continues to be a focus of recovery efforts there.
“For example, maybe we ice and water shield our entire roof decks instead of just that felt paper, so when the shingles do come off during the storm, we’re not seeing that water seep in through our roof decks,” Chaisson said.
The idea is to better protect homes and possibly, secure a discount on homeowner’s insurance in the process.
Chaisson said a lack of affordable housing is another problem his parish is facing.
“We still have some 700 people spread out in temporary housing across Lafourche Parish. It’s still a struggle,” Chaisson said. “I think at the height of it, we had some 3,000 to 4,000 people in temporary housing, so we’ve dwindled that number quite a bit over the last few years. That’s a positive sign.”
Then, there is the ongoing struggle to secure funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to rebuild.
In Lafitte, Kerner said the local high school is still closed because the money needed to repair it has not come through yet.
“That school was devastated. Everyone knows it,” Kerner said. “This community doesn’t work without that high school, and it’s a high school (which has merit that) should put it at the top of a list and we need to get it back.”
Meantime, local leaders are celebrating every step forward, thanking citizens who spearheaded those efforts.
“People of Jean Lafitte, Lower Lafitte, Barataria, Crown Point, in the midst of their worst tragedy, they showed their greatest strength,” Kerner said.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by PostX News and is published from a syndicated feed.)