One Year Later, Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou Remembers Hurricane Ida

Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou has experienced its fair share of challenges over the past few years. As all our hotels, restaurants, attractions and events were grappling with the pandemic and navigating the ever-changing path forward, Lafourche Parish was dealt a different kind of blow on August 29, 2021.

Hurricane Ida, a Category 4 storm that tied as the strongest to ever hit Louisiana and ranked second only to Katrina in terms of the destruction it left it its wake, made landfall near Port Fourchon on August 29 and quickly made its way up Bayou Lafourche. The resulting destruction was nothing short of catastrophic. The aftermath has been felt by every resident of our beloved parish, with towns down the bayou being hit the hardest.

But Cajuns are no strangers to adversity, and their perseverance shone brightly on the morning of August 30, as neighbors helped neighbors, communities helped communities, and friends from around the country rushed to our aid. As residents emerged to begin picking up the pieces of their lives, the words “How can I help” echoed off the banks of the bayou … and the camaraderie never stopped.

As the weeks turned into months, things began to improve. Debris was cleaned up, supplies distributed, roofs tarped and lights turned back on. Hotels – even though many were running on generators with damage of their own – manned their front desks and housed linemen, work crews and those in need of shelter. Restaurants served hot meals to workers and first responders. Our own tourism team didn’t stop working throughout it all, despite Ida destroying the parish’s visitor center. Everyone selflessly did their part to begin putting our destination back together. Along the way, we collectively showed the world what it truly means to be Cajun.

One year later, here we are. Our doors are back open, the tables are set and our lively festivals have returned. We are welcoming visitors back to experience our unapologetically Cajun culture once again. Even though there’s still a long way to go, we’ve come so very far over the past 365 days. We wouldn’t be where we are today if it weren’t for our residents, government officials, community organizations, volunteers, linemen and those who came from far and wide to help us put the pieces back together.

We invite you be part of our continued recovery. Come stay a while at one of our local hotels or B&B’s, taste authentic Cajun cooking at our family-owned restaurants, journey into our unspoiled swamps, or party like a local at one of our many festivals and events. We often say that the Bayou Life isn’t for anyone … it’s for everyone. And we mean it. There is truly no other place like Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou in Lafourche Parish. We can’t wait to welcome you to our incredibly resilient community.