WGNO

Lafitte residents reflect on Hurricane Ida one year later

LAFITTE, La. (WGNO)— Hundreds of homes were severely damaged during Hurricane Ida and even a year later, the rebuilding process continues. In Lafitte, one of the hardest-hit areas, residents are still picking up the pieces, but the progress is tremendous.

In Jefferson Parish in the days following the hurricane, homes were ripped apart, piles of mud covered the streets, and the inside of houses and destruction could be seen on practically every street of the town.


One year later, many residents have made repairs to homes and businesses, however, Mayor Tim Kerner, Jr. says there’s about 40% of Lafitte’s population still displaced. Mayor Kerner remains disappointed in the federal government’s response after the storm.

“If the State of Louisiana wasn’t coming down to help us and if it was up to the federal government, we would have nothing. All the human suffering, all the devastation — this community would be the only community in the state of Louisiana with nothing.”

As rebuilding continues — at least one new family in the town is looking forward to moving into a new home. Thanks to the folks at Habitat for Humanity, a family who lost everything in the storm will now have a complete, elevated house to move into in about a month.