BURAS, La. (WGNO) – The low-lying area of Plaquemines Parish was ground zero for Hurricane Katrina — everything was totally devastated. Ten years later, the community of Buras is slowly picking up the pieces.
WGNO’s Kenny Lopez went to Buras Saturday morning to see how they’re faring.
It’s a new day for folks in Plaquemines Parish. Signs of life have returned. Very different from ten years ago, when Katrina struck. Today is all about reflection.
“In a way, we’ve come a long way. This is still home, this will always be home,” Lieutenant Kathryn Carter of the Buras Fire Department said.
When their homes were under 26-feet of water, coming back seemed impossible. Their spirits prevailed and now all they need is time.
“It’s just taking more time than we want it to. We could still use more of our people back and a little more infrastructure,” Carter said.
Austin Williams has lived in Buras all his life. He feels more needs to be done to bring Buras back. He lost his home to Katrina. He and his wife, Patty rebuilt and turned their home into a 9-bedroom, 10 bathroom lodge called, Patty’s Place. They built their lodge for fisherman and visitors looking for a spot to stay, but since Katrina business has been slow because the fishing and oil industries haven’t fully recovered.
“I’ll never be happy until everything is back right again. Ten years later, I’m still struggling, still trying to rebuild, and we are all still trying to clear the aftermath. There’s still more to do,” Williams said.
He said growth is what his family-like community desperately needs.
“What you see is a skeleton of us trying to build a body back together. I don’t want to see a family move out. I want to see a family move in,” Williams said.
A memorial ceremony with Plaquemines Parish government officials was held Saturday in Buras for the community to feel united and look toward the future.