SHELL BEACH, La. (WGNO) — Eighteen years after Hurricane Katrina claimed 164 lives in St. Bernard Parish, the parish held its annual memorial ceremony at the Katrina monument in Shell Beach.
St. Bernard Parish was among the hardest-hit areas when Katrina made landfall in 2005. The memorial ceremony has been a tradition ever since the monument was dedicated in 2006.
Parish President Guy McInnis said, “I vowed that we would continue to honor the memory of our friends, loved ones, and neighbors who died in Katrina on the anniversary. This is an important event for our parish as we gather as a community to remember the lives lost on Aug. 29, 2005.”
Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser and U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy were featured guest speakers at the ceremony.
Nungesser, who served as the Parish President of Plaquemines Parish in 2005, remarked, “You still get a little uneasiness in your gut coming down here. A little bit of remembrance of the people who lost their lives, but also the great progress we made both in Plaquemines and Saint Bernard, and we’ve worked so well together since those days.”
He also issued a warning for Florida residents bracing for Hurricane Idalia: “Don’t stay […] It’s too late to leave once that water comes in. You can always come back and you can replace anything you lost. But the toughest thing is to get everyone to evacuate and to realize the danger of a three, four, or five category storm.”
Following the reading of the names of the 164 victims, family members placed a wreath in the water in their honor.
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