Terrebonne Parish - What Happened

The year, 2005, will be recorded in the annals of history as the “Year of the Storms.” Never in history had Terrebonne Parish been declared a disaster area twice within a period of thirty (30) days. But, on August 29, 2005, for Hurricane Katrina and again on September 24, 2005, for Hurricane Rita, the Parish was declared a federal disaster area by the President of the United States.

Ironically, but for the “Grace of God,” the Parish of Terrebonne was spared the full brunt of the damage and destruction wielded by these two (2) catastrophic storm events. Had either of these storms veered in an easterly or westerly direction, the death and destruction experienced by our neighboring parishes would have occurred in Terrebonne Parish.

Damage assessment reports provided by FEMA and the Terrebonne Parish Department of Homeland Security revealed that the damages sustained in Terrebonne Parish were as follows:

• Over 10,000 homes and businesses were flooded in Hurricane Rita;
• Over 300 homes and businesses were substantially damaged
• The Parish currently has over 600 FEMA trailers situated at various locations throughout the Parish
• Over 200 persons have been displaced from their homes