The 12 Most Horrifying Disasters To Ever Happen In Louisiana
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Kezia Kamenetz
Author
As the threat of hurricane season comes to a close, it seemed like a safe time to look back at some of the most horrifying disasters Louisiana has ever experienced. From hurricanes and floods to man-made terrors, Louisiana has certainly been through a lot. Here’s a glimpse:
This was the fourth most intense hurricane ever recorded, and it cost more than $12 million in damage throughout southwestern Louisiana and Texas. Lake Charles and surrounding areas suffered from devastating floods.
On April 20, 2010, a blowout on the oil drilling rig left the well gushing for days and caused the largest oil spill ever in U.S. waters.
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Although Andrew hit Florida the hardest, Louisiana suffered more than nine tornadoes because of the storm and more than $1.56 billion in damages.
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Hurricane Betsy struck New Orleans, Louisiana on September 9, 1965, causing levee breeches throughout the city and flooding more than 160,000 homes.
A category 5 hurricane struck on August 17, 1969. Hurricane Camille killed 259 people and caused $1.42 billion in damages.
The controversial bombing of the levees at Caernarvon, LA, caused hundreds of thousands of people to be displaced and a massive amount of damage to properties, livestock, and crops.
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On July 9, 1982, Pan Am flight 759 crashed in Kenner, LA, killing all 145 on board and eight people on the ground.
On June 27, 1957, Hurricane Audrey made landfall between the mouth of the Sabine River and Cameron, LA, causing unprecedented damage throughout the region.
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On October 20, 1976 the ferry George Prince was struck by a Norwegian tanker in St. Charles Parish, LA. A total of 78 passengers died, making it the deadliest ferry disaster in U.S. history.
Also known as the great October storm, this hurricane devastated the island of Cheniere Caminada in early October 1893. The storm killed an estimated 2,000 people and left only one house standing, pictured here.
A massive storm with more than 20 inches of rain caused a huge flood throughout the city of New Orleans and surrounding areas. Estimates put the damage at close to $3 billion.
Hurricane Katrina struck Louisiana on August 29, 2005, a day that will live in infamy for years to come. It continues to be the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history, costing more than $108 billion and taking more than 1,800 lives.
Do you have a memory from one of these disasters that you’d like to share? We’d love to hear your stories. Louisiana has been through so much. Here’s to our survival moving forward!
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