Grand Isle, Louisiana’s small town on a barrier island was hit hard by Hurricane Ida. It sustained the full force of the Category 4 storm on Sunday.
Half of the 1,400 properties in the town were severely damaged or destroyed. Many homes had no roofs or walls and others were reduced to piles.
On Tuesday, the main road was almost completely covered with sand from the tidal surge. All utility poles had either fallen down or were leaning.
Grand Isle Police Chief Scooter Reweber rode through the storm Sunday with his fellow officers at the station. Ida struck just to the west, with winds gusting at 172 mph (277 km/h), and seawater flooding the island.
Resweber said that he had all the police officers moved into the building to ensure safety. “Then all hell broke loose,” Resweber explained to a reporter from The Associated Press, who arrived in the town via helicopter. “Roofs began to fall apart. It was possible to see buildings falling apart right next to us. This is something you will never see again.
“We all became scared when the roof began to fall and the building started shaking. Although we are grown men, you still have fear no matter what occupation you hold.
President of Jefferson Parish, Grand Isle, Cynthia Lee Sheng described the island’s condition as “uninhabitable.”
Resweber, along with other officers, ventured out to assess the damage. The home of the police chief was one of the many destroyed. They also checked on the remaining 100 residents who opted to remain behind. Resweber said that many residents regretted this decision, but no one was seriously injured.
“I have ridden through other hurricanes, such as Katrina, Katrina and Gustav, and this one is nothing like them.” This is the worst. It is amazing that nobody was seriously hurt or killed here.
