Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Plaquemines Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Pointe a la Hache. As at 2000, the parish's population was 26,757.
The name is pronounced ['plɑ.kə.mɪnz] (transcription in IPA).
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Geography
The parish has a total area of 6,290 km2 (2,429 mi2). 2,187 km2 (845 mi2) of it is land and 4,102 km2 (1,584 mi2) of it is water. The total area is 65.22% water.
Adjacent parishes
- Orleans Parish (north)
- St. Bernard Parish (northeast)
- Jefferson Parish (west)
Plaquemines Parish is bordered to the south and southeast by the Gulf of Mexico.
History
The name "Plaquemines" comes from a Native American word, piakimin, meaning persimmon. It was first used to name an old military post on the banks of the Mississippi which was surrounded by large number of persimmon trees. Eventually the name was applied to the entire parish.
One of the most valuable resources of Plaquemines Parish is Fort Jackson, built in 1822 under the recommendation of General Andrew Jackson, hero of the Battle of New Orleans. In 1861, Fort Jackson served as an important defense for the city of New Orleans during the Civil War. It was also used as a training base during World War 1 - 1917-1918.
Plaquemines Parish also is host to several oil refineries and provides assistance to off-shore oil rigs, giving credence to the parish's nickname, "Kuwait."
From 1919 to 1969, Plaquemines Parish (together with neighbouring St. Bernard Parish), was effectively the domain of political boss Leander Perez, who established a virtual dictatorship in the area. He was notorious for fixing elections and mandating strict racial segregation.
During the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927, city and state leaders used dynamite to breech a levee at Caernarvon, thirteen miles below Canal Street, in order to save the city of New Orleans from flooding. However, this action resulted in the flooding of both St. Bernard and Plaquemines parishes, causing widespread destruction.
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina struck on 29 August 2005 and did severe damage to the parish along with others near New Orleans. Martial law was declared until September 12, 2005. The mainly working-class parish of Plaquemines,(and neighbouring St. Bernard Parish ) were annihilated; Pointe a la Hache was destroyed. The towns of Port Sulpher, Buras, Empire, Boothville, and Venice suffered a similar fate. Heavy rains accompanied by hurricane force winds in excess of 145 mph (233 km/h) caused levees to be inundated - the storm surge that followed was 20 feet (6.1m) high. Although a good majority of the populace did heed mandatory evacuation orders, many, tragically did not - it is not known how many people were engulfed by the surge. Preliminary (as of 28 September 2005) reports have many residents still unaccounted for.
Demographics
As of the census2 of 2000, there are 26,757 people, 9,021 households, and 7,000 families residing in the parish. The population density is 12/km2 (32/mi2). There are 10,481 housing units at an average density of 5/km2 (12/mi2). The racial makeup of the parish is 69.77% White, 23.39% Black or African American, 2.07% Native American, 2.62% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.73% from other races, and 1.42% from two or more races. 1.62% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 9,021 households out of which 39.50% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.50% are married couples living together, 14.60% have a female householder with no husband present, and 22.40% are non-families. 18.60% of all households are made up of individuals and 7.10% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.89 and the average family size is 3.30.
In the parish the population is spread out with 29.20% under the age of 18, 9.20% from 18 to 24, 30.50% from 25 to 44, 21.40% from 45 to 64, and 9.80% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 34 years. For every 100 females there are 99.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 97.30 males.
The median income for a household in the parish is $38,173, and the median income for a family is $42,610. Males have a median income of $37,245 versus $21,691 for females. The per capita income for the parish is $15,937. 18.00% of the population and 15.40% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 20.70% of those under the age of 18 and 18.40% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
Cities and towns
- Belle Chasse
- Boothville-Venice
- Buras-Triumph
- Empire
- Pilottown
- Pointe a la Hache
- Port Eads
- Port Sulphur
- Venice
External links
- Official website
- Images of destruction caused by Hurricane Katrina in the parish (Photos taken August 31, 2005)
