May 8th 1995 Louisiana Flood
Encyclopedia
The May 8th and 9th 1995 New Orleans Flood
struck the New Orleans metropolitan area
, shutting down the city for two days. It was a two-event phenomenon. Areas south of the lake began receiving tremendous amounts of rain at approximately 5:30 p.m. on May 7th, continuing into the early morning hours of May 8th. The flooding began on the Southshore, Jefferson Parish and Orleans Parish, including the cities of New Orleans
, Metairie
, Kenner
, River Ridge
, and Harahan
, on May 8. During a short period of twelve hours, some areas received twenty inches of rainfall. The next day, the Northshore of Lake Pontchartrain
, including Slidell
, Covington
, etc. received similar amounts of rain and flooding. Two day totals from NWS acrchives indicated the total rainfall which fell:
New Orleans (International Airport) 9.67"
New Orleans (Lakefront Airport) 15.44"
Harahan 14.88"
Kenner 17.11"
Metairie 19.39"
New Orleans East 20.20"
Slidell 19.09"
Mandeville 23.66"
Madisonville 22.86"
Covington 21.00"
Lacombe 34.76"
Hammond 8.54"
Some have compared this to the great November 1979 Louisiana Flood, or the more recent November 7 - 8 1989 Louisiana Flood, though the May 8th Flood was more extensive and costlier than both combined. It was the worst flooding the city had experienced between hurricanes Betsy
in 1965 and Katrina
in 2005. There has been no comparable recorded flood in New Orleans caused by rain alone. (Rain also caused significant street flooding in New Orleans on Good Friday of 1927 and May 3, 1978.)
Six people died as a result of the flooding. The city of New Orleans suffered $360 million in damages, and the damage of the surrounding areas put that total above $1 billion. Some 56,000 homes were damaged in 12 Parishes. Thousands of cars were flooded. 14,600 homes and apartments were flooded in Jefferson Parish
.
The cause of the massive rain fall totals was a stalled out frontal system from the northwest. It produced a train effect, in which rain and/or thunderstorms continued to form over the same area. Pumping stations were overwhelmed and could not pump out the water into Lake Pontchartrain. The pumping stations are only rated to pump one inch per hour maximum.
, but environmental groups argued against this plan. The idea has since been raised in brainstorming for ideas in how to prevent flooding in New Orleans post Katrina.
The flood prompted expansions and improvements of the city's drainage and pumping system, especially in the worst hit portions of the city, including improvements to the underground canals under Napoleon and Claiborne Avenues in Broadmoor
and other SELA projects to improve drainage in Hollygrove connected to the 17th St. Canal.
Flood
A flood is an overflow of an expanse of water that submerges land. The EU Floods directive defines a flood as a temporary covering by water of land not normally covered by water...
struck the New Orleans metropolitan area
New Orleans metropolitan area
New Orleans–Metairie–Kenner, or the Greater New Orleans Region is a metropolitan area designated by the United States Census encompassing seven parishes in the state of Louisiana, centering on the city of New Orleans...
, shutting down the city for two days. It was a two-event phenomenon. Areas south of the lake began receiving tremendous amounts of rain at approximately 5:30 p.m. on May 7th, continuing into the early morning hours of May 8th. The flooding began on the Southshore, Jefferson Parish and Orleans Parish, including the cities of New Orleans
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
, Metairie
Metairie, Louisiana
Metairie is a census-designated place in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, United States and is a major part of the New Orleans Metropolitan Area. Metairie is the largest community in Jefferson Parish. It is an unincorporated area that would be larger than most of the state's cities if it were...
, Kenner
Kenner, Louisiana
Kenner is a city in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, United States, and a suburb of New Orleans. The population was 66,702 at the 2010 census....
, River Ridge
River Ridge, Louisiana
River Ridge is a census-designated place in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, United States, and a suburb of New Orleans. The population was 14,588 at the 2000 census.- History :...
, and Harahan
Harahan, Louisiana
Harahan is a city in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, United States, and a suburb of New Orleans. The population was 9,885 at the 2000 census.Harahan was named in honor of James Theodore Harahan, president of the Illinois Central Railroad from 1906-1911...
, on May 8. During a short period of twelve hours, some areas received twenty inches of rainfall. The next day, the Northshore of Lake Pontchartrain
Lake Pontchartrain
Lake Pontchartrain is a brackish estuary located in southeastern Louisiana. It is the second-largest inland saltwater body of water in the United States, after the Great Salt Lake in Utah, and the largest lake in Louisiana. As an estuary, Pontchartrain is not a true lake.It covers an area of with...
, including Slidell
Slidell, Louisiana
Slidell is a city situated on the northeast shore of Lake Pontchartrain in St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 25,695 at the 2000 census. The Greater Slidell Community has a population of about 90,000...
, Covington
Covington, Louisiana
Covington is a city in and the parish seat of St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 8,483 at the 2000 census. It is located at a fork of the Bogue Falaya and the Tchefuncte River....
, etc. received similar amounts of rain and flooding. Two day totals from NWS acrchives indicated the total rainfall which fell:
New Orleans (International Airport) 9.67"
New Orleans (Lakefront Airport) 15.44"
Harahan 14.88"
Kenner 17.11"
Metairie 19.39"
New Orleans East 20.20"
Slidell 19.09"
Mandeville 23.66"
Madisonville 22.86"
Covington 21.00"
Lacombe 34.76"
Hammond 8.54"
Some have compared this to the great November 1979 Louisiana Flood, or the more recent November 7 - 8 1989 Louisiana Flood, though the May 8th Flood was more extensive and costlier than both combined. It was the worst flooding the city had experienced between hurricanes Betsy
Hurricane Betsy
Hurricane Betsy was a Category 4 hurricane of the 1965 Atlantic hurricane season which caused enormous damage in the Bahamas, Florida, and Louisiana. Betsy made its most intense landfall near the mouth of the Mississippi River, causing significant flooding of the waters of Lake Pontchartrain into...
in 1965 and Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
in 2005. There has been no comparable recorded flood in New Orleans caused by rain alone. (Rain also caused significant street flooding in New Orleans on Good Friday of 1927 and May 3, 1978.)
Six people died as a result of the flooding. The city of New Orleans suffered $360 million in damages, and the damage of the surrounding areas put that total above $1 billion. Some 56,000 homes were damaged in 12 Parishes. Thousands of cars were flooded. 14,600 homes and apartments were flooded in Jefferson Parish
Jefferson Parish, Louisiana
Jefferson Parish is a parish in Louisiana, United States that includes most of the suburbs of New Orleans. The seat of parish government is Gretna....
.
The cause of the massive rain fall totals was a stalled out frontal system from the northwest. It produced a train effect, in which rain and/or thunderstorms continued to form over the same area. Pumping stations were overwhelmed and could not pump out the water into Lake Pontchartrain. The pumping stations are only rated to pump one inch per hour maximum.
Mitigation work prompted by the flooding
New pumping stations were built and canals were expanded to prevent further catastrophic rainfall floods. Some politicians began to push for pumping rain waters directly into the Mississippi RiverMississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
, but environmental groups argued against this plan. The idea has since been raised in brainstorming for ideas in how to prevent flooding in New Orleans post Katrina.
The flood prompted expansions and improvements of the city's drainage and pumping system, especially in the worst hit portions of the city, including improvements to the underground canals under Napoleon and Claiborne Avenues in Broadmoor
Broadmoor, New Orleans
Broadmoor is a neighborhood of the city of New Orleans. A subdistrict of the Uptown/Carrollton Area, its boundaries as defined by the City Planning Commission are: Eve Street to the north, Washington Avenue and Toledano Street to the east, South Claiborne Avenue to the south, and Jefferson Avenue,...
and other SELA projects to improve drainage in Hollygrove connected to the 17th St. Canal.