Louisiana Cultural Vistas - Winter 2005-2006 - (Page 34)

During the 1871 floods, many New Orleans families, such as this one residing on Bienville Street, remained and suffered in their inundated homes as depicted by Alfred R. Waud in Every Saturday Magazine, July 8, 1871. high from December through June breaking levees and also inundating the city. Few defenses against nature’s wrath n 1778, 1779, 1780 and 1794 hurricanes struck the region destroying buildings and sinking ships. Storm surges swamped areas south of New Orleans. The worst storm of the period was “The Great Louisiana Hurricane” of August 9, 1812. It topped barrier islands and drowned Plaquemines and St. Bernard parishes and the region surrounding Barataria Bay under 15 feet of water. The parade ground at Fort St. Philip had 8 feet of water, and waves tossed lumber over the fort’s parapet. While the south shore of Lake Pontchartrain was inundated, there was no flooding in New Orleans except from rain. The city was concentrated around the French Quarter and its high riverfront elevation helped protect it from storm surges. I Strong north or east winds could send water from Lake Pontchartrain south to the ridges which were then the city’s line of defense against lake flooding. The Carondelet Canal, also known as the Old Basin Canal, was built in the 1790s between Bayou St. John and Basin Street. It served as a shipping channel and drained surrounding lands, but having sliced through the ridge, lake water could also flow unimpeded into the city. In June 1821 east winds pushed water into Bayou St. John flooding a small village at its tip. Water then entered the Carondelet Canal flooding North Rampart Street until winds abated and floodwaters flowed back to the lake. The Carondelet Canal was filled in during the 1920s, and the New Basin Canl was buried in the 1950s, but there were still other canals cut through the cypress swamp. The Upperline Drainage Canal (later christened the 17th Street Canal) dates to 1858, followed in the late 1870s by the London Avenue and Orleans Avenue canals. Initially built to help move water away from the city to the lake, they too overflowed when the lake was high. This was not considered a serious problem until housing and commercial developments began building up alongside the canals in the early 20th century. On August 16, 1831, “The Great Barbados Hurricane” tore through the Caribbean then struck west of New Orleans. The area south of town once again was inundated by storm surge, while in the city 3 feet of water flooded Lake Pontchartrain's south shore. The Mississippi levee at St. Louis Street broke sending water into French Quarter streets. Heavy rainfall submerged the back portion of town, forcing residents to flee. For a few days boats replaced carts on some flooded streets. Southeast Louisiana endured three 34 LOUISIANA ENDOWMENT FOR THE HUMANITIES\Winter 2005-06

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Louisiana Cultural Vistas - Winter 2005-2006

Louisiana Cultural Vistas - Winter 2005 Contents Letters Editor’s Column Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities Louisiana State Museum After Katrina: “It’s time somebody woke us us up.” Missing New Orleans On Perilous Ground The Buildings of Louisiana (Architectural History by Karen Kingsley) Historic New Orleans Collection Louisiana Association of Museums Back to New Orleans Diary of a Displaced Person Jazz Notes (Music History by Bruce Raeburn) Cradle of the Stars The Terrible and the Brave Bookstand (Book Review by Thomas Uskali) Sound Advice (Music Review by Ben Sandmel) Forum (Commentary by James Lee Burke)

Louisiana Cultural Vistas - Winter 2005-2006

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