Tangipahoa Parish - What Happened

The eye of Hurricane Katrina passed through Tangipahoa Parish approximately 35 miles east of Amite, causing hurricane-force winds in excess of 90 mph that lasted over 12 hours.

In accordance with the Tangipahoa Parish Emergency Plan, mandatory evacuation was issued for residents living south of Louisiana Highway 22 and for those residing in mobile homes prior to the storm’s landfall. A voluntary evacuation order was issued for those residents living south of Interstate 12. Approximately 20 percent of the parish residents evacuated prior to the storm. No deaths were confirmed; however, it is believed that several elderly and nursing home patients died due to extreme heat and the lack of electricity.

Hurricane conditions subsided approximately 18 hours after landfall. The storm resulted in thousands of downed trees, a shortage of potable water, and the loss of electricity and essential communication. The parish had a 100 percent power outage for three days, while some rural areas had outages lasting up to two weeks. Flood damage occurred only in the low lying areas of the Parish. Eighty-nine homes were destroyed.

The National Guard, parish and city employees and citizens cleared roadways from debris, fallen trees and utility poles to reestablish communication. FEMA moved into the parish after the storm and distributed water, ice and food to the citizens. Most service stations and grocery stores were closed for a week. Those stations and stores remaining open had long lines. Gasoline was in short supply.

Tangipahoa saw a large influx of people, including evacuees from other parishes and thousands of utility workers and military personnel, due to the close proximity and ease-of-access to the New Orleans and Baton Rouge areas.