Holly Beach, Louisiana

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Holly Beach, also known as the "Cajun Riviera", is a coastal town in the state of Louisiana, United States in Cameron Parish. Located 10 miles west of Cameron and 12 miles east of Johnson's Bayou.

Known for crabbing and a drive on the beach this small Southwest Louisiana town mainly consisted of beach-front cabins (called "camps") which, due to the threat of hurricanes, were "built-to-be-rebuilt" by its residents.

In September 2005 Hurricane Rita completely leveled the small beach town. Nothing was left but the water tower. This was the second time Holly Beach was levelled by a hurricane; Hurricane Audrey in 1957 also levelled it with a 12 foot storm surge.

[edit] A community rebuilding

Holly Beach is now being re-populated, despite the lack of an important city-provided utility.

A year after the devastation of Hurricane Rita, Holly Beach is now attracting some residents who live in mobile homes set up on site. Many former residents believe the government officials are implementing such strigent building codes, that's it's now nearly impossible to rebuild. Many of these dwellings are parked under canopy type structures for shade. The new telephone poles are set up carrying electricity, but ominously are lined up in the familiar rows, revealing the numerous empty lots. The current residents must sign a waiver which allows them to dwell there, despite the lack of a functioning sewer system which is a concern to the state’s department of health.^[1] It is common site to see port-a-johns on the community’s road sides, which are well maintained for the few locals and visitors alike. For new structures in Cameron Parish, the new building codes apply. In nearby Cameron, according to the parish officials, the coastal buildings built before the late 1980’s that had less than fifty percent damage may retain the same pre-Rita elevation.^[2] It was estimated that some twenty-percent of these structures met the criteria and wouldn’t have to have an elevation increase. But just how stringent the new building codes in Cameron and the surrounding parish will be enforced will be determined by surveyors using FEMA flood maps.
It was feared that these strict building codes, along with the high insurance costs, would keep many of the original locals from returning and rebuilding, and that the southern part of the parish would end up with temporary trailer type housing indefinitely.^[3] Within Holly Beach, there are several permanent structures being built, with pier elevations complying with building codes. These structures are a testament to those determined residents who will not give up their beachfront living to any force of nature, or any other opposition that is put between them and their "Cajun Riviera".