St. Tammany Parish - What Happened

St. Tammany Parish was highly affected by Hurricane Katrina, not only by a storm surge but hurricane force winds as well, which persisted for almost 20 hours. Wind speeds ranged from 102 to 125 mph in the eastern end of the parish and from 61 to 102 mph in the western end.

Lake Pontchartrain inundated the northern shore at the western end of the parish with a 12-foot surge of lake water that flowed inland several blocks. At the eastern end of the parish, an 18-foot storm surge traveled approximately six miles inland, devastating the City of Slidell. Rainfall amounts ranged from 2 to 18 inches across St. Tammany Parish. Rain persisted from Aug. 28 through Aug. 30, causing flooding in low lying areas and in the flood plains adjacent to the rivers and bayous.

More than 5,000 people were treated for illness and injury due to the storm. Six deaths have been attributed directly to the hurricane; two of the six had been transported from New Orleans for treatment. Approximately 1,000 residents evacuated prior to the storm, and many of those living south of U.S. Highway 190 and Interstate 12 evacuated to higher ground in the northern part of the parish. Residents from other parishes evacuated to St. Tammany Parish, both prior to and after the storm, increasing the population by approximately 50,000 residents.