Chalmette, Louisiana

The unincorporated community of Chalmette is the parish seat of St. Bernard Parish, in the US state of Louisiana. The population was 32,069 at the 2000 census. Chalmette is on the east bank of the Mississippi River, just down river from Arabi, Louisiana, some 2 miles down from the border of New Orleans, Louisiana.

Geography

Chalmette is located at (29.945504, -89.961602).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 20.6 km² (7.9 mi²). 19.0 km² (7.3 mi²) of it is land and 1.6 km² (0.6 mi²) of it (7.56%) is water.

Hurricane Katrina

In 2005 Chalmette's levees were breached by Hurricane Katrina and about 99% of Chalmette was under water for a period of over 2 weeks. On 29 August, 2005 the enormous storm surge pushed by Hurricane Katrina up the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet, a little-used commercial channel dug by the Army Corps of Engineers in the 1960s, inundated the entire town up to 30 feet in some places. As a result, in a matter of hours, Chalmette was almost entirely destroyed. Fortunately the majority of the population succeeded in evacuating shortly before the storm hit, but there was loss of life of many who had not gotten out. As of 25 October, 2005, most of the bulidings were judged to be unsavable. Despite findings published by the EPA, the toxic chemicals in the water from local oil refineries have been postulated to be an ongoing health hazard by several civilian ecological groups. Especially notable was the large oil spill originating in Chalmette's large Murphy Oil facility, where the storm surge knocked over a huge oil tank.

Deputies working for the St. Bernard Parish Sheriff stated in early December 2005 that the oil tank floated in the flood. When the water receded the tank settled on uneven ground. That is when it lost its structural integrity and the oil spill occurred. By late November, the Murphy facility was back up and running, as was a small cluster of businesses around the intersection of Paris Road and St. Bernard Highway, on the least damaged River side of Chalmette. The devastated residential areas further back from the River were only open during daylight hours for residents to attempt to salvage belongings from their home sites (Houses were often knocked off their foundations if they survived the storm at all), and the majority of people staying in Chalmette full time were living in trailers, that started to be supplied by FEMA or private enterprise on Oct. 12, although many who had been promised FEMA trailer housing were still waiting as late as March of 2006.

Camp Premier, run by Premier Productions, a special events company, provides shelter, hot showers laundry service, and hot meals to relief volunteers in St. Bernard Parish, to residents of the Parish, and to workers helping to get the businesses running. Camp Premier exists in the sunrise shadow of the old Kaiser Aluminum smokestack. Until February 2006, it housed National Guard soldiers as well as housing contractors.

Images From 8 Months After Katrina

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 32,069 people, 12,321 households, and 8,821 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 1,686.9/km² (4,369.6/mi²). There were 12,896 housing units at an average density of 678.4/km² (1,757.2/mi²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 92.69% White, 2.39% African American, 0.44% Native American, 1.80% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.95% from other races, and 1.71% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.81% of the population.

There were 12,321 households out of which 31.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.3% were married couples living together, 14.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.4% were non-families. 23.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.04.

In the CDP the population was spread out with 23.7% under the age of 18, 10.0% from 18 to 24, 28.1% from 25 to 44, 23.9% from 45 to 64, and 14.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 94.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.1 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $36,699, and the median income for a family was $43,804. Males had a median income of $33,916 versus $24,896 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $17,480. About 9.2% of families and 12.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.5% of those under age 18 and 8.5% of those age 65 or over.

History

Chalmette was the location of what is often called The Battle of New Orleans where United States forces under General Andrew Jackson defeated the British in 1815. The battlefield is preserved as a national monument, and a military cemetery is adjacent.

Etymology

The community was named after plantation owner I. Martin de Lino de Chalmette, whose surname in turn is derived from the French word chalmette — "pasture land, fallow land" (used especially in a mountainous area) — and has been traced to the pre-celtic *kalm.

Education

Chalmette is served by the St. Bernard Parish Schools district.

Before Katrina, Chalmette was served by:

C.F. Rowley Elementary School
Lacoste Elementary School
Chalmette Middle School
Chalmette High School

As of 2006 the St. Bernard Unified School serves the entire parish.

Andrew Jackson Fundamental High School also has a Chalmette address.

Private schools with Chalmette addresses include:

Chalmette Christian Academy (PK-8)
Our Lady of Prompt Succor School (PK-8)
St. Mark Catholic Elementary School (PK-8)

External links

Census-designated places in Louisiana | St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana | Greater New Orleans | Hurricane Katrina

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