Chalmette, Louisiana
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| Chalmette | |
|---|---|
| Census-designated place | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Louisiana |
| Parish | St. Bernard |
| Area | 7.9 sq mi (20.5 km²) |
| - land | 7.3 sq mi (18.9 km²) |
| - water | 0.6 sq mi (1.6 km²), 7.59% |
| Center | |
| - coordinates | Coordinates: |
| - elevation | 3 ft (0.9 m) |
| Population | 32,069 (2000) |
| Density | 4,369.6 /sq mi (1,687.1 /km²) |
| Time zone | CST (UTC-6) |
| - summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
| Area code | 504 |
  Location of Chalmette in Louisiana
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 Location of Louisiana in the United States
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The unincorporated community of Chalmette is the parish seat of St. Bernard Parish, in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The population was 32,069 at the 2000 census.
Chalmette is on the east bank of the Mississippi River, just downriver from Arabi, Louisiana, approximately 2 miles (3 km) from the border of New Orleans.
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[edit] Geography
Chalmette is located at (29.945504, -89.961602)[1], along the Mississippi River and has an elevation of 3 feet (0.9 m)[2]. It is located east of New Orleans, and is part of the Greater New Orleans Area.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 7.9 square miles (20.6 km²), of which, 7.3 square miles (19.0 km²) of it is land and 0.6 square miles (1.6 km²) of it (7.56%) is water.
[edit] Demographics
As of the census[3] of 2000, there were 32,069 people, 12,321 households, and 8,821 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 4,369.6 people per square mile (1,686.9/km²). There were 12,896 housing units at an average density of 1,757.2/sq mi (678.4/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 92.69% White, 2.39% African American, 0.44% Native American, 1.80% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.95% from other races, and 1.71% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.81% of the population.
There were 12,321 households out of which 31.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.3% were married couples living together, 14.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.4% were non-families. 23.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.04.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 23.7% under the age of 18, 10.0% from 18 to 24, 28.1% from 25 to 44, 23.9% from 45 to 64, and 14.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 94.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.1 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $36,699, and the median income for a family was $43,804. Males had a median income of $33,916 versus $24,896 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $17,480. About 9.2% of families and 12.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.5% of those under age 18 and 8.5% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Etymology
The community was named after plantation owner I. Martin de Lino de Chalmette, whose surname in turn is derived from the French word chalmette — "pasture land, fallow land" (used especially in a mountainous area) — and has been traced to the Proto-Celtic *kalm.
[edit] History
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Chalmette was the location of what is often called The Battle of New Orleans, where United States forces under Colonel Andrew Jackson defeated the British in 1815. The battlefield is preserved as a national monument, and a military cemetery is adjacent.
[edit] Hurricane Katrina
On 29 August 2005, the enormous 25 foot storm surge from Hurricane Katrina came up through the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet - a little-used commercial channel dug by the Army Corps of Engineers in the 1960s - and flooded most of the town, with waters as high as 14 to 15 feet (4.9 meters)[4] in some places. As a result, in a matter of hours, Chalmette was entirely destroyed. Fortunately the majority of the population evacuated shortly before the storm hit, but there was still some loss of life for many who had not gotten out.
As of 25 October, 2005, most of the buildings were judged to be unsavable. Despite findings published by the EPA, the toxic chemicals in the water from local oil refineries have been postulated to be an ongoing health hazard by several civilian ecological groups. Especially notable was the large oil spill originating in Chalmette's large Murphy Oil facility, where the storm surge knocked over a huge oil tank (see photo).
The parish administrative headquarters served as the site for a FEMA trailer park for numerous civil servants who were laboring in the rebuilding efort. One year after the storm, parish employees were still working shifts around the clock to bring the community back to life.
Another center in the rebuilding effort was centered at Our Lady of Prompt Succor which served the congregations of the seven other Roman Catholic parishes as well as the main office of Catholic Relief Services. It also served as the only place to hold funerals for the first 12 months after katrina.
Deputies working for the St. Bernard Parish Sheriff stated in early December 2005 that the oil tank floated in the flood. When the water receded, the tank settled on uneven ground. That is when it lost its structural integrity and the oil spill occurred. By late November, the Murphy facility was back up and running, as was a small cluster of businesses around the intersection of Paris Road and St. Bernard Highway, on the least damaged River side of Chalmette. The devastated residential areas further back from the River were only open during daylight hours for residents to attempt to salvage belongings from their home sites; houses often had been knocked off their foundations, if they survived the storm at all. The majority of people staying in Chalmette full-time were living in trailers, that started to be supplied by FEMA or private enterprise on Oct. 12; although many who had been promised FEMA trailer housing were still waiting as late as March 2006.
"Camp Premier", now "Camp Hope", was established as a base camp for the the community rebuilding efforts, facilitating the work of relief organizations, the National Guard and private individuals . As of August 2007, the camp is located to P.G.T. Beauregard Middle School and is operated by Habitat for Humanity to provide shelter, hot showers, laundry service, and hot meals to relief volunteers in St. Bernard Parish. Other relief organizations, such as the St. Bernard Project, have also participated in the rebuilding of Chalmette, from distributing supplies, to clearing debris, to preparing damaged houses for homeowners to return.
The Chalmette Battlefield was also partially flooded in low-lying areas, destroying the Visitor's Center, which was removed for rebuilding, and temporarily replaced with a house trailer to attempt re-opening the park for visitors in 2006.
[edit] Gradual recovery
St. Bernard Parish has celebrated Mardi Gras with parades in Chalmette. In February 2006, the krewe of the Knights of Nemesis held a parade, past many buildings still in ruins, along the streets of Chalmette.
As of early 2008, many businesses have returned to the area, schools have reopened, and life is gradually moving back towards normal, although the population remains significantly below pre-Katrina levels.
[edit] Education
Chalmette is served by the St. Bernard Parish Public Schools district.
As of 2007, Chalmette is served by three schools in unincorporated areas:
- Andrew Jackson Elementary School (in Chalmette)
- Trist Middle School (in the community of Meraux)
- Chalmette High School (in Chalmette)
Before Katrina, Chalmette was served by other schools including:
- C.F. Rowley Elementary School
- Joseph Davies Elementary School
- Lacoste Elementary School
- Lynn Oaks (K-8)
- Chalmette Middle School
- Andrew Jackson Fundamental Magnet High School (now the site of Andrew Jackson Elementary School)
- St. Bernard High School
- Archbishop Hannan High School
Due to Hurricane Katrina, the St. Bernard Parish School Board succeeded get a school open dispite considerable difficulties, including telling FEMA that it would not wait for the agency. The parish opened the St. Bernard Unified School as a K-12 school in late 2005.
With the opening of the 2006-2007 school year, the Unified school has reverted back to Chalmette High School and now houses grades 8-12. The former Andrew Jackson High School has been repaired and now houses grades PK3-5. Trist Middle School houses grades 6 through 7.
The Catholic and private school sector was also completely destroyed in Katrina.
The archdiocese of New Orleans has consolidated all local schools into one on the Our Lady of Prompt Succor campus. It has grades PK-8.
[edit] See also
- Chalmette High School
- Mississippi River Gulf Outlet
- Leander Perez (Judge Perez)
[edit] Notes
- ^ US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990. United States Census Bureau (2005-05-03). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ US Board on Geographic Names. United States Geological Survey (2007-10-25). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ "Six months Later--A Vision of Chaos, Determination, Courage, and Generosity" (report), Heidi (health care worker), St. Bernard Parish Medical HHS Clinic, Chalmette, LA, webpage: ADC: notes how flood trapped people in attics, in standing water.
[edit] External links
- Chalmette Battlefield - Visitor Information: from the National Park Service.
- Chalmette photos after Hurricane Katrina, photos of Katrina damage in Wikimedia Commons
- Chalmette photos after Hurricane Katrina on Katrina Destruction from late September 2005
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