LA 1 south of Leeville between the landfalls of Gustav and Ike. Entergy repair crews repairing damage to power lines from Gustav were forced to flee the region as Ike tidal surge overwhelmed the highway.

Hurricane Gustav made landfall on September 1, 2008 immediately west of Port Fourchon at Cocodrie, Louisiana, and traveled in a northwesterly direction to Houma. Hurricane Ike made landfall on September 12, 2008 at Galveston, Texas, but pushed tidal surges of up to nine feet into the coastal communities of Lafourche and Terrebonne parish as the storm trekked across the Gulf of Mexico.

Along the LA Highway 1 corridor, between the Golden Meadow floodgates and Port Fourchon, the water reached a height of 6 ft. 6 inches above sea level. With most of LA 1 sitting at one to two feet above sea level, the roadway was covered with four to five feet of water due to Hurricane Ike.

LA 1 was closed partially or all day on August 30 and September 1 3, 2008 for Hurricane Gustav. It was closed partially or all day September 11-14, 2008 for Hurricane Ike. The closure of LA 1 delayed the full reopening of Port Fourchon by two days, limiting oil and gas companies access to the Gulf of Mexicos largest support base and Americas energy supply.

As a result of Hurricanes Gustav and Ike, LA 1 has suffered serious deterioration of its shoulders. Substantial amounts of aggregate are needed to shore up this vulnerable highway, and construction funding of $250 million is needed to elevate this critical corridor.

[ View more Gustav and Ike images ]

	Leevile bridge partially submerged after Hurricane Katrina

Hurricane Katrina proved to be the storm the New Orleans region always feared, flooding the city and the outlying parishes of St. Bernard and Plaquemines, rendering hundreds of thousands homeless and leaving the state and the nation faced with a massive rebuilding effort. Making landfall just to the east of Grand Isle in the early morning hours of August 29, Katrina brought high water to the lower reaches of LA 1, but spared the highway from a debilitating storm surge that could have washed out the critical energy corridor. Port Fourchon sustained wind damage and was left without electrical power for a short time until massive generators were brought in, re- powering the port for its role in the national energy supply.

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	America's Energy Corridor, LA 1, on Sept. 23, 2005 before Hurricane Rita made landfall approximately 300 miles to the west.

Portions of LA 1 were underwater again on September 23 and 24 when Hurricane Rita's southeast winds pushed water inland as she moved through the central Gulf of Mexico, closing down America's Energy Corridor. Clearing of and repairs to the highway allowed critical deliveries to Port Fourchon to resume at 2 pm on September 25th. Erosion caused by Katrina and Rita has left the road more susceptible to rising waters.

[ View more Rita images ]

As a result of Hurricanes Gustav and Ike, LA 1
suffered serious deterioration of its shoulders.

LA 1 south of the Golden Meadow floodgates was inundated as
Hurricane Ike moved across the Gulf. The Leeville Bridge is pictured above.

LA 1 North of Leeville, looking from the South at the
Louisiana Shrimp and Packing Plant (upper right).

LA 1 South of Leeville, looking from the South at
Chevron's Leeville Base.

LA 1 South of Leeville, looking from the
South at Southern Leeville.

Flood waters caused a buckle along LA 1 South of Leeville.

LA 1 highway embankments experienced floodwater damage.

A houseboat washed ashore on LA 1.