Impact of Hurricane Katrina on

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Impact of Hurricane Katrina on Department of the
Interior Lands in Coastal Louisiana and
Mississippi August 31, 2005 photographic survey
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Jean Lafitte NHPP Barataria unit. Main
administrative buildings. The buildings
sustained roof damage. The forested wetlands
lost at least 40 of canopy trees.
3
Jean Lafitte NHPP Barataria unit. Debris from
damaged private camps near park perimeter was
blown into the park.
4
Jean Lafitte NHPP Barataria unit. CWPPRA
breakwaters along western shoreline.
Unprotected shoreline was severely eroded.
5
Jean Lafitte NHPP Barataria unit. Raised walkway
was damaged.
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Chalmette. Park, river, and city. Adjacent
sewage treatment facility was overwashed by the
floods. Contaminated waters covered the entire
area.
7
Chalmette. Interpretive and administrative
facilities.
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Chalmette. Detail of facilities.
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Gulf Islands National Seashore. Cat island. Note
that the pine forest is brown on the south side
of the island but has stayed green on the north
side.
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Gulf Islands National Seashore. Cat island.
Island facilities. Note that the pine forest is
brown on the south side of the island but has
stayed green on the north side.
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Gulf Islands National Seashore. Cat island. Note
numerous overwashes on east end (left) of island.
Also there is a breach into the bay on the south
side.
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Gulf Islands National Seashore. West Ship Island.
Note that all facilities are gone except the
walkway. The beach is severely eroded from the
south (upper) and west (right).
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Gulf Islands National Seashore. West Ship Island.
The walkway is also damaged.
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Gulf Islands National Seashore. West Ship Island
approach Camille Cut. The island shortened
severely from the east end.
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Gulf Islands National Seashore. East Ship Island
was overwashed and severely eroded on the western
end near the Camille Cut.
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Gulf Islands National Seashore. Horn Island
(western end). Sand dunes were flattened and
pushed northward. Internal lagoons were often
breached from the north.
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Gulf Islands National Seashore. Horn Island .
The boathouse and pier were undamaged. The
buildings appear intact, though flattened dunes
and some debris indicated that the entire island
may have been overwashed.
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Gulf Islands National Seashore. Petit Bois Island
appeared to have been completely overwashed.
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Gulf Islands National Seashore. Petit Bois Island
appeared to have been completely overwashed.
20
High water and strong winds blew open the doors
on the first floor of the Delta NWR headquarters
building. The storm lifted a crane barge and
deposited in on the new maintenance building
(portions of which are barely visible under the
left-side of the barge).
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An oilfield Facility was flooded at Delta NWR
22
Breton NWR consists of many islands in the
southeastern extreme of Louisiana, on Katrinas
path.
The Chandeleur Islands, the eastern-most portion
of the wildlife refuge, were severely eroded with
large volumes of sand deposited into the seagrass
beds west of the island.
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Freemason Island and New Harbor Island are part
of Breton NWR located west of the Chandeleur
chain are are thus, somewhat protected.
Freemason has all but disappeared.
New Harbor Island appears to be in good condition.