Temporary repairs to Grand Isle levee nearing completion

NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) - Engineers have placed more than a thousand sacks of sand in a dozen locations along Grand Isle’s southern levee where tidal surge from Hurricane Ida breached.

Hurricane Ida’s eastern eyewall hit Grand Isle on Aug. 29. Every home on the island reported damage and around 40-50% were completely destroyed. Most other structures received major damage.

“I’ve never seen it look like this,” said the director of Jefferson Parish Fire Services, Bryan Adams. “It’s decimated.”

On average, authorities say Grand Isle is impacted by tropical storms and hurricanes every 2.68 years and is directly hit every 7.88 years, on average.

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The Louisiana National Guard’s 225th Engineer Brigade has placed 1,100 sacks of sand to fill the breached areas of the levee and plans to place around 400 more. The project should be completed within the next couple of days, weather permitting, according to Col. Greg St. Romain. Each sack of sand contains 4,000 pounds of sand.

“As long as there is one grain of sand on Grand Isle, we are going to plant the American flag,” Mayor David Carmardelle said. “We are not going anywhere.”

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