When Hurricane Zeta hit Louisiana’s coast in October, it destroyed what was left of Grand Isle’s west end beach. After hold-ups with federal partners, the state has spent $7.5 million over the past few months to repair it.
It Cost Louisiana $7.5 Million To Rebuild A Grand Isle Beach After Hurricane Zeta
As Louisiana’s only inhabited barrier island, Grand Isle has long been a fishing and recreational destination. Kate Chopin portrayed it as a summer playground for New Orleans’ elite in her complicated 1899 novel
“The Awakening.”
Now it’s more of a working-class destination, though there’s less and less of it to enjoy each year.
The island is on the frontlines of climate change and coastal land loss, facing one of the highest rates of relative sea level rise in the world. Tidal flooding is increasing. Most of the homes are raised up high on stilts.