St. Bernard Parish Community Profile


S


t. Bernard Parish is a parish located south- east of New Orleans in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Chalmette, the largest city in the parish. As of 2000, its pop- ulation was 67,229. It has been ranked the


fastest-growing county (parish) in the United States from 2007 to 2008 by the U.S. Census Bureau, but it is only half as populated as it was in 2005. In 2009, because of evacuation and out-migration due to destruction by Hurricane Katrina, its population was estimated to be 33,439.


St. Bernard Parish contains a small community of Spanish descent. Sometimes referred to informally as "Spanish Cajuns", the Isleños are descended from Canary Islanders who arrived around 1780. This linguis- tically isolated group eventually developed its own dialect. This settlement was first called La Concepcion


On August 29, 2005, St. Bernard was devastated by Hurricane Katrina. The storm damaged virtu- ally every structure in the parish. The eye of Katrina passed over the eastern portion of the parish, push- ing a 25-foot storm surge into the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet ("MRGO"). This surge destroyed the parish levees. Almost the entire parish was flooded, with most areas left with between 5 and 12 feet of standing water. The water rose suddenly and vio- lently, during a period which witnesses reported as no more than fifteen minutes. In many areas, houses were smashed or washed off their foundations by a storm surge higher than the roofs.


Founded Named for


Seat


Largest city Area • Total • Land • Water


Population • 2010 • Density


Time Zone


As of late November 2005, it was estimated that the Parish had some 7,000 full-time residents, with some 20,000 commuting to spend the day working, cleaning up, or salvaging in the parish and spending their nights elsewhere. By mid-December some businesses had returned to the Parish, most notably the ExxonMobil plant in Chalmette and the Domino Sugar plant in Arabi,


1807


Patron Saint of Bernardo de Galves Chalmette Chalmette


1,794 sq mi (4,646 km2 465 sq mi (1,204 km2 1,329 sq mi (3,441 km2


) 35,897


56/sq mi (22/km2 Central: UTC-6/-5


)


) )


and Nueva Galvez by Spanish officials, but was later renamed Terre aux Boeufs (French) and Tierra de Bueyes (Spanish) for "land of cattle", because nearby areas were used for cattle grazing. By the end of the 1780s, St. Bernard, the patron saint of Bernardo de Galvez, was used in documents to identify the area.


The chief historical attraction in St. Bernard Parish is the Chalmette National Historical Park (or Chalmette Battlefield), at which the Battle of New Orleans took place on January 8, 1815 during the War of 1812. Many street names near the battlefield bear the names of the chief participants, or take a pirate theme, since the pirate Jean Lafitte was considered to be a hero in the battle. A high school, later elementary, was named in honor of (then Colonel) Andrew Jackson, who was the American commanding officer in the battle.


together with a handful of small local stores and businesses.


For more than two months after the storm, much of the parish remained without proper services, including electricity, water, and sewage. Parish President Henry "Junior" Rodriguez, declared all of the parish's homes unlivable. Emergency Communities offered one reason for hope in the first


year after Hurricane Katrina. In the parking lot of a destroyed off-track betting parlor, EC built the Made with Love Cafe and Grill, a free kitchen and community cen- ter serving 1500 meals per day. Made with Love, housed in a geodesic dome, also offered food and clothing dis- tribution, and emotionally supportive volunteers. Upon leaving, EC has offered logistical support for the found- ing of a new long-term Community Center of St Bernard. As of January 2010, the population was estimated to be 35,897. So if you are visiting, just passing through or a life-long resident, one thing you will realize is that we are a resilient community of people who don't give up easy!


For more information on upcoming events, announcements, attractions and much more about St. Bernard Parish, visit our website at www.stbernardbusinessguide.com


8 2011/2012 • stbernardbusinessguide.com PLEASE SAY "I SAW IT IN THE ST. BERNARD BUSINESS GUIDE"


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