Operations Resume Nine Days After Ida at Port Fourchon

In a challenging year where Port Fourchon was only one year removed from being hit by Category Three Hurricane Zeta, the Port found itself in harm’s way again becoming the official landfall location for Category Four Hurricane Ida on Sunday, August 29.

Ida buffeted the Port with winds in excess of 200 mph as well as a storm surge of 10-feet. 

Following the storm’s passage, initial reports made one believe Port Fourchon had been crippled to the point of inoperability. 

However, on Tuesday, August 31, the roadways leading to the Port were cleared of debris as GLPC Executive Director Chett Chiasson flew over Port Fourchon for the first time. 

After returning from this flight, Chiasson gathered members of his team in the Port Commission’s damaged administrative building in Cut Off and told them, “Don’t get me wrong it’s bad, but the damage is not catastrophic. There is hope!” 

This rallying cry led to an expedited recovery timeline that saw tenant assessment teams being allowed to visit their facilities on Thursday, September 2.

One day later, the U.S. Coast Guard deemed Belle Pass (the main entry channel in and out of the Gulf of Mexico) safe to traverse with restrictions in place. 

Then, only nine days following landfall, tenants began resuming operations in the Port. 

Within five weeks of Ida’s landfall, all critical services had been restored to the Port and its tenants. 

As of today, the GLPC and Port continue to move forward repairing damaged buildings, while simultaneously pursuing construction projects like the Airport Bridge and Connector Road. 

Phase 2 of the Elevated LA 1 Highway Connector Road also went to bid with this road set to receive its final notice to proceed in the coming months. 

This project is funded by a federal INFRA grant as well as state dollars. Also contributing to the funds to construct this $450 million-plus elevated road to Port Fourchon are the GLPC as well as Lafourche Parish Government and numerous company stakeholders.

Despite all the challenges faced in recent years, the GLPC and Port Fourchon continues to demonstrate an unwavering resolve to maintain its foothold as the country’s key Energy Port due to its strategic location to the Gulf of Mexico because #WeAreFourchon and are #ReadyforTodayReadyforTomorrow