Harvey, LA
My home town, your home town, Main Streets white-washed windows and empty stores.
They are closeing down the mill across the railroad tracks, seems like nobody wants to come around here no more.
Jefferson Parish, Louisiana
Coordinates: 29°44′N 90°06′W / 29.733, -90.1
Jefferson Parish, Louisiana
Seal of Jefferson Parish, Louisiana
Map
Map of Louisiana highlighting Jefferson Parish
Location in the state of Louisiana
Map of the USA highlighting Louisiana
Louisiana's location in the USA
Statistics
Founded 1825
Seat Gretna
Largest City Kenner
Area
- Total
- Land
- Water
642 sq mi (1,663 km²)
307 sq mi (795 km²)
336 sq mi (870 km²), 52.29%
Population
- (2000)
- Density
455,466
1,483/sq mi (573/km²)
Time zone Central: UTC-6/-5
Website: www.jeffparish.net
Named for: President Thomas Jefferson
Jefferson Parish is a parish in Louisiana that includes most of the
suburban New Orleans. The seat of parish government is Gretna.
According to the 2000 census, Jefferson had a population of 455,466.
The Greater New Orleans area, which includes both Jefferson and Orleans
parishes, is the largest metropolitan area in the state. Jefferson
Parish was affected by Hurricane Katrina in 2005 but has rebounded at a
more rapid pace than neighboring Orleans Parish, probably because the
destruction was not as severe in Jefferson. A population estimate
conducted from June - October 2006 by the Louisiana Recovery Authority
put Jefferson at 440,000 residents or 98% of its 2000 total, making it
the largest parish in the state.
A business report released in April 2007 found Jefferson Parish lead
the nation in job growth, for the quarter ending September 30, 2006,
[1] as rebuilding continued after Hurricane Katrina. Jefferson Parish
president Aaron Broussard believes that Jefferson Parish will reach
pre-Katrina numbers or even exceed those numbers, as residents who are
still evacuated from New Orleans return to Jefferson Parish to be
closer to New Orleans as they wait for federal recovery money to repair
their homes.[2]
Contents
[hide]
* 1 Name
* 2 History
* 3 Geography
o 3.1 Major Highways
+ 3.1.1 East Bank
+ 3.1.2 West Bank
+ 3.1.3 Grand Isle
o 3.2 Adjacent parishes and natural features
* 4 Demographics
* 5 History
o 5.1 Hurricane Katrina
o 5.2 Katrina-related flooding
o 5.3 Gretna controversy
* 6 Communities
o 6.1 East Bank
o 6.2 West Bank
o 6.3 Bayou Barataria
o 6.4 Gulf of Mexico
* 7 Education
* 8 Footnotes
* 9 External links
[edit] Name
Jefferson Parish was named in honor of Thomas Jefferson of Virginia.
Jefferson Parish was named after Jefferson in 1825, a year before he
died. A statue of Jefferson stands in the parish seat (Gretna).
[edit] History
Jefferson Parish was established in 1825. From the 1950s to the 1970s,
as the country began changing its segregation laws, Jefferson's
population swelled with an influx of middle-class white families from
Orleans Parish.
[edit] Geography
The parish has a total area of 1,664 km² (642 mi²). 794
km² (307 mi²) of it is land and 870 km² (336 mi²)
of it (52.29%) is water.
[edit] Major Highways
[edit] East Bank
* Interstate 10 -- connects the East Bank to St. Charles Parish on the west and New Orleans on the east.
* U.S. Highway 61 -- connects the East Bank to St. Charles Parish on the west and New Orleans on the east.
* U.S. Highway 90 -- connects the East Bank to the
West Bank on the south (via the Huey Long Bridge) and to New Orleans on
the east (via Jefferson Highway).
[edit] West Bank
* U.S. Highway 90 -- connects the West Bank to the
East Bank on the north (via the Huey Long Bridge) and to St. Charles
Parish on the west.
* U.S. Highway 90 Business -- connects the West Bank
to New Orleans on the east ($1 toll eastbound) and intersecting U.S.
Highway 90 to the west. Planned future route of Interstate 49.
* Louisiana Highway 18 -- connects the West Bank to St. Charles Parish.
* Louisiana Highway 23 -- connects the West Bank to Plaquemines Parish.
* Louisiana Highway 45 -- connects the West Bank
with the towns in the southern portion of Jefferson Parish (Jean
Lafitte, Lafitte and Barataria)
[edit] Grand Isle
* Louisiana Highway 1 -- connects Grand Isle to Lafourche Parish
[edit] Adjacent parishes and natural features
With the exception of the island Grand Isle, the only roads leaving
Jefferson parish go to St. Charles Parish on the west and both Orleans
Parish and Plaquemines Parish on the east. Lake Pontchartrain is
situated to the north of Jefferson Parish. The southern half of
Jefferson parish is uninhabited marshland. Regarding Grand Isle, the
only roads connecting it to the rest of Jefferson Parish run through
Lafourche Parish and St. Charles Parish
[edit] Demographics
Historical populations
Census Pop. %±
1900 15,321
—
1910 18,247 19.1%
1920 21,563 18.2%
1930 40,032 85.7%
1940 50,427 26.0%
1950 103,873 106.0%
1960 208,769 101.0%
1970 337,568 61.7%
1980 454,592 34.7%
1990 448,306 -1.4%
2000 455,466 1.6%
Est. 2006 431,361 [3] -5.3%
Jefferson Parish Census Data[4]
As of the 2000 census², there were 455,466 people living in
Jefferson Parish. There were 120,191 families residing in the parish.
The population density was 574/km² (1,486/mi²). There were
187,907 housing units at an average density of 237/km²
(613/mi²). The racial makeup of the parish was 69.82% White,
22.86% Black or African American, 0.45% Native American, 3.09% Asian,
0.03% Pacific Islander, 2.03% from other races, and 1.72% from two or
more races. 7.12% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 176,234 households out of which 31.90% had children under
the age of 18 living with them, 48.20% were married couples living
together, 15.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and
31.80% were non-families. 26.70% of all households were made up of
individuals and 8.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age
or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family
size was 3.13.
In the parish the population was spread out with 25.30% under the age
of 18, 9.10% from 18 to 24, 30.20% from 25 to 44, 23.40% from 45 to 64,
and 11.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36
years. For every 100 females there were 92.40 males. For every 100
females age 18 and over, there were 88.60 males.
The median income for a household in the parish was $38,435, and the
median income for a family was $45,834. Males had a median income of
$35,081 versus $24,921 for females. The per capita income for the
parish was $19,953. About 10.80% of families and 13.70% of the
population were below the poverty line, including 20.00% of those under
age 18 and 9.80% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] History
Jefferson Parish has had a long history, dating to the founding in 1825.
In recent years, Jefferson Parish was in the US national news in 2005, for infamous local events following Hurricane Katrina.
[edit] Hurricane Katrina
Even though Jefferson Parish was affected by Hurricane Katrina, it has
rebounded more quickly than Orleans Parish since the devastation was
not as severe, and the parish has a current population of 440,000 which
is 15,000 fewer people than the 2000 U.S. census but still makes
Jefferson Parish the largest parish in the state of Louisiana.
During 2005, as the largest parish in the state of Louisiana, the
impact from Hurricane Katrina's flood waters and evacuation refugees
affected more people in Jefferson Parish than in any other parish,
leading to a series of events that became national news headlines
across America.
With the passing of Hurricane Katrina on August 29, 2005, Jefferson
Parish took a hard hit. On the East Bank, massive flooding occurred,
especially in the eastern part of the parish, as well as much wind
damage. Schools also were reported to have been severely damaged. On
the West Bank, there was little to no flooding. However, there was
still much wind damage. As a result, the Jefferson Parish Council
temporarily moved the parish government to Baton Rouge. Evacuees of
Jefferson Parish were told that they could expect to be able to go back
to their homes starting Monday, September 5, 2005 between the hours of
6 a.m. CDT and 6 p.m. CDT, but would have to return to their places of
evacuation because life in the area was not sustainable. There were no
open grocery stores or gas stations, and almost the entire parish had
no electric, water, or sewerage services. Moreover, evacuations out of
New Orleans were continuing to be staged from the heart of Metairie at
the intersection of Interstate 10 and Causeway Boulevard and traffic
throughout the area was primarily restricted to emergency and utility
vehicles.
Aaron Broussard, the parish president, issued the following statement, which was posted on the parish's website:
Jefferson Parish is not a safe place to return to at
this time. Therefore, I am exercising my authority under the Louisiana
Disaster Act and issuing a 'lock out' order for all Jefferson Parish
citizens until 6 a.m. on Monday, September 5th.
I have asked the Governor to utilize the State
Police and National Guard for assistance in this mandatory lockout.
This time will be needed to clear debris from streets so people can
enter Jefferson Parish at their own risk.
We are at a catastrophic, disastrous impasse. There
are a tremendous amount of trees down, gas leaks, low water pressure,
and downed electrical lines which could start a fire that we have no
way of putting out. There are no traffic controls. Many places are
still flooded and this standing water will become toxic.
Jefferson Parish emergency managers will need this
time to at least clear major East/West thoroughfares so that you can
enter Jefferson Parish. However, I strongly suggest that you just come
here to gather more belongings and leave, as it will still be a
dangerous place. I cannot stress strongly enough that there will be no
stores to purchase food or supplies so please do so prior to coming
back to Jefferson Parish.
Try to stay with friends and relatives out of the
hurricane affected area during the weeks to come. We cannot sustain any
viable quality of life in Jefferson Parish at this time or for some
time to come.
On September 3, as thousands of New Orleans residents were being
evacuated into the parish, and as looting increased on both banks of
the river, Parish President Aaron Broussard declared on local radio
that Jefferson Parish was a "dictatorship" to be called "Jeffertania,"
and that he was the "dictator." He announced that Parish police
officers would be authorized to stop looting by any means.
On September 4, Jefferson Parish President Aaron Broussard broke down on "Meet The Press"
RUSSERT: You just heard the director of homeland
security’s explanation of what has happened this last week. What
is your reaction?
BROUSSARD: We have been abandoned by our own
country. Hurricane Katrina will go down in history as one of the worst
storms ever to hit an American coast. But the aftermath of Hurricane
Katrina will go down as one of the worst abandonments of Americans on
American soil ever in U.S. history. … Whoever is at the top of
this totem pole, that totem pole needs to be chainsawed off and
we’ve got to start with some new leadership. It’s not just
Katrina that caused all these deaths in New Orleans here. Bureaucracy
has committed murder here in the greater New Orleans area and
bureaucracy has to stand trial before Congress now....
Three quick examples. We had Wal-Mart deliver three
trucks of water. FEMA turned them back. They said we didn’t need
them. This was a week ago. FEMA, we had 1,000 gallons of diesel fuel on
a Coast Guard vessel docked in my parish. When we got there with our
trucks, FEMA says don’t give you the fuel. Yesterday —
yesterday — FEMA comes in and cuts all of our emergency
communication lines. They cut them without notice. Our sheriff, Harry
Lee, goes back in, he reconnects the line. He posts armed guards and
said no one is getting near these lines…
I want to give you one last story and I’ll
shut up and let you tell me whatever you want to tell me. The guy who
runs this building I’m in, Emergency Management, he’s
responsible for everything. His mother was trapped in St. Bernard
nursing home and every day she called him and said, "Are you coming,
son? Is somebody coming?" and he said, "Yeah, Mama, somebody's coming
to get you." Somebody's coming to get you on Tuesday. Somebody's coming
to get you on Wednesday. Somebody's coming to get you on Thursday.
Somebody's coming to get you on Friday… and she drowned Friday
night. She drowned Friday night! [Sobbing] Nobody's coming to get us.
Nobody's coming to get us… (Video: WMV MOV)
By the following weekend, the local electrical utility, Entergy, had
restored power to large swaths of Jefferson Parish, and the parish
public works department had restored water and sewer service to most of
the areas with power. East Jefferson General Hospital never ceased
operation, even through the storm. Nevertheless, Mr. Broussard
continued to discourage residents from returning until all major
streets were clear of downed trees, powerlines and major debris. The
parish's initial focus was on helping businesses through the "Jumpstart
Jefferson" program that allowed business operators into the parish
before residents. Nevertheless, some independent residents began moving
back into the parish even before Broussard issued a formal "all-clear"
and some gas stations, grocery stores, restaurants and the local Home
Depot were operation during this time.
Broussard's report of the events he discussed on "Meet the Press" have
subsequently proven to be inaccurate. The son of the drowned woman was
later identified as Thomas Rodrigue, who replied, "No, no, that's not
true," when told of Broussard's account. An MSNBC interview with the
man revealed that Rodrigue tried to contact his mother at the St. Rita
nursing home on the days before the storm - Saturday, August 27 and
Sunday, August 28, not Monday through Friday as Broussard had claimed -
to encourage the home to evacuate. They did not, resulting in the
drowned deaths of more than 30 other residents.
As of October 2006, Jefferson Parish had rebounded well from Hurricane
Katrina, unlike Orleans Parish, and had a growing population of 420,000
to 440,000, and it was expected to continue to rise as evacuated
residents from Orleans Parish returned to metropolitan New Orleans. [1]
[edit] Katrina-related flooding
Flooding on the east bank has been frequently attributed to the
decision by parish leadership to deactivate the stormwater pumping
systems and evacuate the operators during the storm. Katrina's
substantial storm surge may have swamped even operating pumping
stations but Broussard's activation of the parish's "Doomsday Plan" is
the most frequently cited reason for the flooding in all areas of the
east bank except Old Metairie and parts of Harahan. Pump operators were
evacuated to areas outside the parish that were themselves severely
affected by the storm and pump station personnel were consequently
unable to immediately return to restart the pumps. They did not arrive
until the morning of August 31. Water resulting from the backflow
through the non-operating pumping stations, as well as storm-related
rainwater, remained on the streets and in the homes of residents of
Metairie and Kenner for a day and a half. Many homes which were not
severely damaged by storm winds took heavy flood damage, especially
along both sides of the West Esplanade canal, from the 17th Street
Canal to Kenner. The parish has subsequently announced that it will
change the way it evacuates critical personnel during an emergency,
both through the construction of "safe-houses" and use of existing
facilities on the west bank of Jefferson Parish. The original
"safe-house" project was severely modified due to rising costs and was
further delayed due to a conflict of interest revealed by the original
contractors. There are also plans to add manual closures on the pumping
stations due to the failure of the compressed air systems during
Katrina's storm surge.
Much additional consideration has been given to the different problem
of the flooding in Old Metairie that resulted from Jefferson Parish's
reliance on the failed Orleans Parish drainage system at the 17th
Street Canal and its Pumping Station No. 6. Flooding in this area south
of Metairie Road between the Orleans Parish line and Causeway Boulevard
was catastrophic and deep water destroyed much of the most expensive
real estate in the parish. A temporary plan was devised to pool water
at the Pontiff Playground and south of Airline Drive and to divert some
into other Jefferson Parish drainage canals. A longer-term project to
divert water from this vulnerable area into the Mississippi River has
also been suggested, although its expense appears to be prohibitive.
Jefferson Parish officials have also struggled to maximize the parish's
ability to utilize the significantly reduced pumping capacity of the
17th Street Canal if the threat of storm surge again requires the Corps
of Engineers to close the mouth of the canal.
[edit] Gretna controversy
The city of Gretna, Louisiana, the parish seat of Jefferson Parish,
made news after its police force participated, along with Crescent City
Connection Police and Jefferson Parish Sheriff's deputies, in a road
block on the Crescent City Connection Bridge in the days following
Hurricane Katrina. The purpose was to stop evacuees from crossing over
into the evacuated communities on the Westbank of the Mississippi
River. Gretna Police had charge of Westbank-bound lanes, while
Jefferson Parish deputies controlled the east bank-bound lanes and the
bridge police closed the transit lanes.
Initially, as many as 6,000 evacuees were permitted to cross and were
shuttled out of the area on buses; however, that operation was
eventually discontinued as available fuel supplies were exhausted.
Without transportation or sufficient supplies of food or water, west
bank law enforcement personnel determined that they were unable to
further assist the evacuees. It was also believed at that time that
federal relief efforts and supplies were soon to be concentrated in the
downtown area of New Orleans. The decision to stop further evacuees
from crossing the river was then made after Oakwood Center was looted
and burned by evacuees from the east bank of New Orleans. A unified
local police decision was made to lock down all areas. Due to the lack
of effective communications during the crisis, some New Orleans police
officers independently continued to direct evacuees to buses across the
bridge that were no longer operational. The inevitable confrontation
occurred on the section of the bridge controlled by the Gretna police,
and warning shots were fired over the heads of desperate evacuees who
had been misdirected onto the bridge. The warning shots were fired only
after the threatening crowd of evacuees actually began a sudden advance
upon the police after shouting the likes of "we can take them,"
according to live news reports from the scene.
In the immediate aftermath of the storm, the Oakwood Center had been looted and set on fire.
[edit] Communities
Map of Jefferson Parish, Louisiana With Municipal Labels
Map of Jefferson Parish, Louisiana With Municipal Labels
The communities are arranged by region and ranked by population as of the 2000 Census.
[edit] East Bank
Total Population: 257,239
* 146,136 -- Metairie (unincorporated)
* 70,517 -- Kenner (city)
* 14,588 -- River Ridge (unincorporated)
* 11,843 -- Jefferson (unincorporated)
* 9,885 --Harahan (city)
* 4,270 -- Elmwood (unincorporated)
[edit] West Bank
Total Population: 181,464
* 36,165 -- Marrero (unincorporated)
* 25,430 -- Terrytown (unincorporated)
* 22,226 -- Harvey (unincorporated)
* 17,423 -- Gretna (city)
* 15,880 -- Estelle (unincorporated)
* 13,058 -- Woodmere (unincorporated)
* 11,405 -- Timberlane (unincorporated)
* 10,763 -- Westwego (city)
* 9,435 -- Waggaman (unincorporated)
* 8,323 -- Bridge City (unincorporated)
* 5,441 -- Avondale (unincorporated)
[edit] Bayou Barataria
Total Population: 5,046
* 2,137 -- Jean Lafitte (town)
* 1,576 -- Lafitte (unincorporated)
* 1,333 -- Barataria (unincorporated)
[edit] Gulf of Mexico
* 1,