[StBernard] Delacroix Tornado Destroys Historic Structure

[Westley Annis]

Delacroix Tornado Destroys Historic Structure

St. Bernard Parish President: Cleanup Could Take Weeks



POSTED: 5:59 pm CDT March 30, 2011

UPDATED: 6:29 pm CDT March 30, 2011

DELECROIX, La. -- Officials said an EF1 tornado swept through St. Bernard
Parish in Delacroix on Tuesday night, ripping off the top half of a
historical structure.

St. Bernard Parish residents said the most visible devastation was the
demolished Delacroix Coastal Complex. They said only the first floor is left
of the old building.

"Everybody in our community had a special association with it because it was
used as our blessings for the shrimp fleets," tornado victim Janet Estaves
said.

The building opened its doors at the same time as the Delacroix Island
Elementary School in 1946. It survived three hurricanes with minor damage,
but flooding from Hurricane Katrina left it dormant.

Parish officials said they were planning to resurrect the building; but
unfortunately, it couldn't withstand the powerful winds of the violent
storm.

"We were in the process of doing a private partnership to establish some
activity here at the Delacroix Complex," St. Bernard Parish President Craig
Taffaro said.

Residents said more storm damage could be seen along Delacroix Highway where
a strong line of winds flipped campers and golf-ball-sized hail pierced
trailers.

"First (Hurricane) Betsy, then we went through Katrina, the BP oil spill and
now this (tornado). You know it's just tragic that all of this just keeps
happening to our community," Estaves said.

Workers said they are trying to restore power to hundreds of people in the
area.

Taffero said no injuries were reported after the storm, but clean up in the
area may take two to three weeks.