Hurricane Rita pictures
Cameron, Louisiana is about thirty miles south of here, a mere mile or so off the Gulf of Mexico. It’s a working town. Offshore oil production depends on a lot of crew and supply boats coming out of Cameron, as does a very active commercial fisheries activity.
Yep! Elevation 4 feet above sea level, and the sea isn’t a mile away. And the storm surge was above ten feet… What does that mean? Here’s one of the grocery stores.
And here’s an elementary school…
And here’s a view of the high school…
And a shot of one of the banks on the main street through town…
Credit for these pictures goes to two of my technicians…
Holy shit. Nice pictures. Keep up the good work on reporting the aftermath of Rita and Katrina.
I just cannot comprehend the damage down there.
I’m sorry to see those pictures. Cameron used to be called Leesburg after an ancestor of mine. I used to love to go fishing with my Grandpa out of Cameron. Those were the days.
I love Cameron, and Holly Beach was one of my favorite places to go to from Port Neches, Tx. I really feel for everyone there, and I just thought that my damage from Hurricane Rita was bad. Cameron really has it bad. Can Rita be compared to Audry as far as destruction and loss of life? I remember how awful Audry was. Hopefully evacuation saved lives this time. God bless.
CAMERON WILL REBUILD WITH THE GRACE OF GOD WHOM SPARED OUR LIVES, CONTINUE TO BELIEVE IN THE MAKER (JESUS CHRIST) PLEASE CONTINUE TO PRAY FOR ALL OF US (CAMERON PARISH DISPLACED RESIDENTS) MAY GOD BLESS EVERYONE
TO MY FAMILY & FRIENDS OF CAMERON PARISH,
CAJUNS ARE TOUGH, WE’RE MADE OF GOOD STUFF, LIFE MAYBE ROUGH BUT WE WILL MAKE IT SURE NOUGH… I KNOW THE PEOPLE OF CAMERON PARISH AN WHAT A HELL OF A GROUP THEY ARE. MAY GOD BLESS EVERY LAST ONE OF YOU AND MAY GOD GIVE YOU THE STRENGTH AND THE COURAGE TO FACE THE DAYS AHEAD.
YOU KNOW NOMATTER WHAT CREOLE LOOKS LIKE OR HOW DEVASTING IT IS TO LOOK AT, HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS AND MY HEART WILL ALWAYS BE IN CREOLE. GOOD LUCK.
DOROTHY DUHON
Thanks for the pictures. I live in Vermilion Parish, and we were hit hard too. It’s nice to know people are thinking of all the people of South Louisiana. It’s gonna take alot more than just a hurricane to wipe us away. Take care to all the people of Cameron and the surrounding comunities.
My husband and I lived at Holly Beach, and spent a lot of time in Cameron(especially Bailey’s shrimp place). We miss it, and do so grieve for all of the loss down there.
Thanks for the pictures of Cameron – My husband & I call this home for 20 months – Since Rita we have gone back to PA – To everyone in Cameron good luck in rebuilding and best of luck in the future – To all the dear friends I made during my short stay – I will miss you greatly and hope some day to return for a visit – God Bless You All
Seeing these pics of cameron parish devastates me. I grew up in Holly Beach and now my home is gone. This was the last piece of my home i had left.
Well, I am headed down to Cameron tomorrow to assist with hurricane aid. I am a firefighter/paramedic in VA and our department has been sending personnel down for awhile. I will be there for two weeks and hope to help make a difference.
I hope you put up pics of the rebuilding progress I was there with a disaster team after rita and would like to see how things are going. God Bless you
I am looking for some information of Cameron and Holly Beach’s history from before the oil boom came into the area up until now. Please e-mail me.
Sincerely,
Tim Cunnings
i lived in cameron once i would not expect this to happen
Maybe people woulda been able to help more if they wouldn’t have threatened everyone that tried to get in. I was down there for years as a taxpayer but when Rita hit, we were treated as outcast. The news media tried to get in there, it was the locals that ran em off. I hope to maybe return there one day because i love it there, but not sure if I want to go back to a place where I wasn’t even allowed to look at my own losses. I never thought it would have happened in America. I hope everyone that trusted the locals and feds now know that the only people that care are the ones that want to help.
I suffered through Katrina in Pearl River, LA. That was bad enough but when Rita blasted Acadiana, it was almost too much to bear for me. I love cajuns and the one-two punch of Katrina and Rita hit me so hard I had a heart attack. A precious cajun friend, Henry Duhon, had a beautiful camp and a large motor home in Holly Beach. The motor home was the largest thing left at Holly Beach, top torn off and upside down. Hurricane Audry also wiped out Henry’s camp, so this is the second time for him. He just
cried and cried over it and so did I. His children will be back and will rebuild. No-one will keep the cajuns out and they will be back, come hell and high water.
God Bless You All and THERE IS NOTHING IN THIS WORLD MORE PRECIOUS THAN A CAJUN.
Dale Bills
Hi from Lake Charles. Yes, everyone needs to see the devastation that Rita caused. There’s a lot more damage than what people think, and it is beause of the publicity band wagon that the media jumps on. No one knows about Cameron, Lake Charles, Iowa, and all of the other small communities in the area that have suffered greatly, and they don’t want to take chances.
God Bless all of y’all in Southwest Louisiana, and everyone else that has suffered due to the horrible hurricanes of 2005
Hi,I am the grand-daughter of Alice&Bruce Mason,I lived in Cameron for almost the enitre past 16 years of my life. . it was a place that I knew no matter what I could always go there to my granny and grand-paw and be safe,in a safe town with lovingand caring and hoesty people.I’m going to miss waking up on those sunday mornings to granny cooking breakfast and everyone drinking coffee’ standing out on that back porch listening to the rooster crow in Ms.Ida’s yard;and watching that beautiful sunrise.-There was nothing like a beautiful day in cameron. I remember the last time i was down there to visit before Rita hit.Infact it was last summer June 2005,Granny&Paw Paw had came down to visit from N.C.,well..we stayed for ab0ut a good week,and let me tell you that i did alot of examinations & quality time spending now that i think about it,but nothing&i do mean nothing will ever replace my home, my grandparents home,the town Cameron & it’s wonderful people and feeling.I’m going to miss it,every day for the rest of my life.I just got to go down to Cameron a week ago from today.(January 9th,2005) Ritas’ hit about 4 months ago,and things are looking better.*THANKS TO ALL THE HELPERS*
He’ll be with us through cold and warm
hold us away from all the harm
answer our prayers everyday and night
but no matter what our Lord it’ll never be right.
-Lela Mason
The pictures are great, I work for an electric company that was asked to help rebuild cameron, holly beach, and the other surrounding perrishes. I left my family and lived in a tent, and now live in a camper in cameron. It is hard for my wife and children to imagine why daddy needs to go so far away and stay for so long to help people we dont know. You just have to see it and meet the great people with incredible faith, to comprehend the need to help. At first I was not happy about leaving my family, and my comfortable house, but hopefully what we do will help others to get back to their homes, and get thier families back together. there was a lady in a minivan with several children that stopped on the road the other day just to say “thank you” and that makes it all worth while. Glad to be albe to help.
I have a hard time even now in Feb. 2006 looking at the pictures of southwest louisiana,where i was raised along with 8 other siblings. I live in Texas now but still get tears in my eyes knowing what all of you are going through.I am so sorry for all your losses,and My wife and I will continue to pray for all of you down there. I live in tx panhandle now and am 14 hours from home but i still feel the pain with all of you.
God Bless and hope to see you all soon.
Charles Kerr
kerrcharles@sbcglobal.net
Cameron is home to me. I grew up there with Kay and Lawrence LeBoeuf. I always go back at least one time a year. I have not been able to make it this year. I just would like to say that I am sorry but you guys are strong, and God is watching over you guys. Cajun’s are strong and the kindest of them all. My love goes out to you and your families.
God Bless and Hope to see you all soon
Shelly Christian
I feel very sad for the people of Cameron and Holly Beach. I rember many wonderful days and nights in Holly Beach. Holly Beach was a safe place to relax and have fun. I rember Mr. Thib. Store, how it grew from a small country store to a big tourtis store. but with the same country fell.
We went to holly beach on April 8.06 it was as though God had desided to clean house. No old run down camps no new camps. No crowds of people. No beer bottles or people trash. But there were sea shell and birds all kinds. It was peacful and so beautiful!!! I hope when people deside to build again they will rember to to take care of what God has given us. This is our beaches, our oceans our air, and our life. But They or only loaned to us.
Dolores McGee
I spent all of my summers in Grand Chenier, and in Cameron. My Aunt and Uncle Simon and Lillie Harrison lived there. My Grandmother, Frances West January lived there for over 100 years. I thought about “home” the other day and had to shed a tear. Whatever I am and hope to be, I owe to all of my relatives who called the “Chen-ya” home, MAYNE, DOZIER, JANUARY, HARRISON, BARTIE, SAVOY, FRANK, JONES, WEST, RANKIN. FRIENDS: CRANES, NUNEZ. If there is anything we can do from Port Arthur, Texas, don’t hesitate to allow us to help. Cameron is in our prayers.
I grew up all over Louisiana, but Cameron I call home. We lived in Holly Beach, out on Rutherford Beach, and for over 15 yrs in Grand Chenier. I love Grand Chenier and always refer to it as “back home”. And Dorothy is right, Home is where the Heart Is. And mine will always be nestled beneath all those beautiful Oaks in Grand Chenier. I evacuated Florida for Dennis last year and of course I went straight home to wait it out. I stayed out on Chunny Rd with my cousin Kimberly Nunez and her husband Gerard. Two months later they lost everything they couldn’t load up and bring with them, to Rita. I just made it back down there last week. I’d been hesitating cause I thought I wouldn’t be able to handle it. And although it’s been nearly a year, I didn’t handle it well at all. I cried at the Hibernia Inspirational Park in Cameron, had a really hard time wrapping my mind around what I was seeing. Broke down again at South Cameron High, and the spot where our Home “was”. Then I saw my church (just the slab) in Grand Chenier and the Babtismal was still standing. That made me smile and seeing the Oaks all coming back as best they could. God Bless Cameron Parish. These are really hard working, fun-loving people. The Lord will bring Cameron back. And as for me, I won’t wait so long to get back home next time. For everyone in Grand Chenier and all of Cameron Parish, You are in my prayers and I wish you all the best!!
i send my best to everyone that lived in the cameron parish. i usde to live there from 2002- 2004 off and on. if u whould like to contact me u can email me at amybug1116802002@yahoo.com
I am from Cameron my family is also from there. I could not belive the things that I saw there, my family is now back and rebuilding. one day it will feel like home again. In my heart it will always be home.
i lived i cameron parish for 16 years.now i have nothing left.i wish we could get some help.
I send all my heartfelt best wishes for the people who lived in Cameron and Lake Charles. I cannot believe what has happened.
I am from Liverpool and I stayed in Cameron in the early 80:s. I along with everyone else was evacuated because a hurricane was on it’s way and what a terrifying experiece that was. I am looking for a friend of mine
Mike McArthur he was an american pro footballer who played for Toronto Argonauts at the time. He has a brother called Junior and another who’s name I forget. If you know of him please contact me at kimryan@merseymail.com
cheers
I wanted to say thank you for posting the pictures. I live in central Louisiana, but some of my immediate family lives in Cameron and Calcasieu Parish. I used to go down to Cameron and Sweet Lake alot when I was a child. Those places will always hold a special place in my heart. I have been working offshore for quite a long time now and I used to catch a boat or helicopter out of Cameron on a regular basis, but haven’t in the last year and a half. I would like to take a trip down there and see with my own eyes, what the devastation is like. It might take some time, but Cameron Parish will be back
Here is a link to a video I made of my footage of Cameron last Thanksgiving. Even a year later, it moves me to tears.
For some reason it won’t link, so you’ll have to cut and paste.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5529244868576277885&q=tonyia+doyle&hl=en
I was part of a 5 person Disaster Medical Team in Cameron ,the month of Dec 2005. I couldnt believe the devestation, and I will never forget the people of Cameron. Kind, Proud, & Strong.
I have prayed for you, Ive cried for you, and Ive thought about you, since the day I came home. The NY Medical Team may have left Cameron , but Cameron is in our hearts to stay.
If you remember us, please let us know who & how you are…
Stay Safe,
borcherdingc@coned.com
I lived in Cameron for 31 years. It is a place that I miss daily. It is a shame that I cannot afford to move back there. Have enjoyed many years as a volunteer firefighter and met many good people there. I have a place now in Lake Charles where I work. We are calling it home, but it will never be the home where so much of my life was spent. So many of my friends are living in other areas. Have lost touch with most of them. Name is in the phone book. Call me.
what are the possibilities of a post-ike photo of cameronand say, holly beach…?
thanks!
lee