But with parts of Louisiana still unreachable, the full extent of the wreckage remained unclear. The authorities had rescued more than 70 people in Jean Lafitte and the surrounding communities, said Cynthia Lee Sheng, the Jefferson Parish president, after eight feet of water overtopped levees, sending several hundred people into attics and onto roofs. It may not display this or other websites correctly. Satellite images taken by Maxar on Tuesday shows just how extensive damage is over the Gulf Coast and southern Louisiana. And the odd thing is, these sudden fortunes may never have come to light had it not been for the catastrophe called Katrina. I would suspect that its higher now. "We've suffered flooding before, we've suffered storms before," Kerner was quoted saying. Aerial image of Jean Lafitte, La. Items Shane Mears has found along the Mississippi River with a metal detector. Grand Isle, a narrow beachy islet of stilt-raised homes facing the Gulf of Mexico, near where Ida came ashore, could not be reached by road, which was underwater, or by air, because there was nowhere for a helicopter to land, said Sheriff Joseph P. Lopinto III of Jefferson Parish. You know, right now, people are in the middle of this emergency and there's really not no answer for it. Co-worker told me a story about Jean Lafitte having buried treasure near where we live. Shane Mears and Susanna French looking for treasure along the Mississippi River with a metal detector. But the water has stabilized. The hurricane passed through the area, flattening trees and ripping apart smaller buildings. But from what I just got off the phone when I was interrupted earlier, the water's still piling in. After stalling for time, Lafitte finally complied in 1821. All you have to do is log onto this unclaimed.org (not unclaimed.com). For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Over the years, Hendrick's Lake near Tatum has been a place where many people have visited in search of a legendary treasure that was supposedly left at the site by Pirate Jean LaFitte. Homes in the town of Laplace, to the west of New Orleans, were also flooded. I mean, right now, if they have 10 foot of water, they're basically there in the Gulf of Mexico in a hurricane. There are a lot of people that are still there and OK, sitting on the porch, waving at us, Sheriff Lopinto said. Parts of Louisiana and Mississippi have been left devastated by Hurricane Ida, which flooded communities, knocked out power lines and littered roads with debris. It also has references to other lost treasure spots in Texas. Hurricane Katrina remains one of the worst hurricanes in U.S. history. Being that it is actually on one of the trails probably used from time to time by Jean Lafitte, legend has it that he buried some gold under its branches. Also, Dateline shows how you may be able to find that forgotten treasure on your own. The state treasurer says the storm motivated him to start digging through the files to help people. "I opened my hand and there is a little gold coin in my hand. Aerial image of LaPlace, La. (AccuWeather / Bill Wadell). Today, hes a millionaire. before Hurricane Ida. And thats when the unclaimed property office found the most remarkable story of all From disabled vet to millionaireBack in the 1970s, Jimmy was a regional supervisor for what was then a small Southern hardware chain named Lowes. Prior to Hurricane Katrina, the public school system of New Orleans was one of the lowest-performing districts in the state of Louisiana. This hobby became a true passion for Mears after Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast in 2005. "We just pulled it out yesterday at this privy I'm telling you about. Night-time imagery from Nasa captured the extent of blackouts across the affected area after the storm, with lights knocked out in many places, including New Orleans. Bye. Jordan Roque pulled his Chevy pickup truck onto the last stretch of highway outside of town that was not inundated by water on Monday, hauling an airboat. Right now, there's nothing. Not a bad location to camp, near the river. The authorities had rescued more than 70 people in Jean Lafitte and surrounding communities. Harry: I feared losing memories of mum during therapy, US-made cheese can be called 'gruyere' - court, The children left behind in Cuba's exodus, Canadian grandma helps police snag phone scammer, AOC under investigation for Met Gala dress. It may not display this or other websites correctly. More a thousand people died, and at least 800,000 were left homeless. It took just a few clicks to find this one man's $400,. Other variations of the mystery say Lafitte buried the treasure in multiple locations along the Gulf Coast. They've got people that's trapped back there and there's no way to get home. Some small towns outside New Orleans were inundated. I try to prepare for the worst and pray for the best. Satellite image 2021 Maxar Technologies Now, he's got new company while he is on his hunts. Aerial image of Jean Lafitte, La. If residents that evacuated don't need to return, local officials are asking they stay away for the the time being. Jimmy Sparks, a short time ago, wasa veteran on disability. Another good book that has some good info on Lafitte is Coronado's Children, by J. Frank Dobie. In the 1950s, the Sabine River and the nearby lake (Hendrick's Lake) experienced a new onslaught of treasure seekers when the story of Laffite's silver was published by the True West magazine. When no one claims these valuables, theyre eventually turned over to a state, where they may languish for years. You must log in or register to reply here. I was born and raised in East Texas. But he expected fewer actually stayed once they saw Idas strength. Though the city looked sturdy and dry on the outside, many of the problems were unfolding indoors, where the lights could be out for days. (AccuWeather / Bill Wadell). Then I did a litlle research and found this. Bill Wadell interviewing Shane Mears on the bank of the Mississippi River about his treasures. He's got hunting for long-lost coins, jewels and artifacts from Spanish shipwrecks down to a science. A few New Orleanians had begun venturing out to walk their dogs, ride bikes and assess the state of things early on Monday. You know, the sheriff brought up a good point with me. The water was out. Its never been as bad as it is this time, said Jesse Touro, 62, who was rescued from Jean Lafitte after riding out storms in town for the past 12 years. This story was told to me several years ago by a man in his 80 s Back in 1940 or 41 two men hired to clean up around what is said to be Lafittes red house disapeared after a few days. By Richard Fausset,Rick Rojas and Patricia Mazzei. SC: I do know that the state had requested help from the National Guard and had activated the entire National Guard and even got help from FEMA resources. SC: Well, thanks for chatting with us and giving us that update. "We started digging privies. Your credit card or PayPal account will be charged. While at my favorite used book store some months ago I stumbled across a copy of a book that I read as a kid. I just don't know what to think. Its something Dateline has shared with you before, a wonderful little secret called unclaimed property. It could be an old paycheck, a stock note, or inheritance thats owed to you. Ida also moved slower than Katrina. 1417 Harborside Drive. Jean Lafitte Mayor Tim Kerner said the town suffered "catastrophic" flooding Sunday following Hurricane Ida. Workers pump rainwater off of street after Tropical Storm Nicholas brought heavy rains after Hurricane Ida in Jean Lafitte, La., Saturday, Sept. 18, 2021. I saved the newspaper to my hard drive and will try to break it down. They're scared because they've never seen this, Leorwald said. On the edge of this little-known Chambers County lake off the Trinity about 35 miles east of Houston, Jack wants to show where a ship sank in the 1800s. I know New Orleans got nailed with it because of that levee failure. So does all this have you wondering if you have any long-lost money? In fact, its receding.. after Hurricane Ida. Martinez, his friends and other treasure hunters have found a variety of items over the last two days. Fast forward 25 years. Accuweather National Reporter Bill Wadell didn't mind getting dirty to take viewers along a journey with a history buff in New Orleans who searches for Louisiana's forgotten past. In other areas gardens and roads were littered with debris. Thats the way I do, help somebody who really needs help and those children are it. But after about 14 years working at Lowes, he was battling serious depression. Sounds like the Hendricks lake treasure. So armed with the states list of names, addresses, and amounts owed, we went door-to-doora sort of sweepstakes a la Dateline. You are using an out of date browser. The Gulf Coast from Mississippi to Louisiana was left in shambles. The two-bedroom trailer was wrecked, with only the air-conditioner intact among piles of mangled furniture, kitchen supplies and personal belongings. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. You can't get to. Mr. Roque felt certain his aunt and uncle, whom he lovingly described as hippies, would be all right. There is no way to know that these coins are his, but the timing, location, and the fact that it is buried treasure all hint toward not only a pirate, but the pirate Jean Lafitte. I know people must be in a panic. Never again, Ms. Joseph said. My son is crying. And I don't know what's going to happen. In the French Quarter, the streets seemed to have been washed almost clean. Read about our approach to external linking. John Bel Edwards said no major levees failed during Ida, thanks to a $14 billion hurricane risk-reduction system that was built in the greater New Orleans area following Katrina in 2005. The man who was killed left an estate of 60,000 in cash plus land in Mississippi. Jefferson Parish was hit by Hurricane Ida's winds that reached up to 70 mph and floodwater that reportedly reached between 10 to 12 feet, according to New Orleans Public Radio. Every little thing that I owned and had, its gone, Mr. Adams said. (AccuWeather / Bill Wadell), "I do it for the thrills and the booty," Mears quipped. His aunt and uncle, Diane and Buddy Nolan, had ridden out the fierce Category 4 storm at home in the hardy fishing village of Jean Lafitte. before Hurricane Ida hit. What's the least amount of exercise we can get away with? And I would imagine every one of them's caught back there right now, and I really don't know. It took just a few clicks to find this one mans $400, and another $670 for another man who never received a payout from an old insurance claim. Never again.. I know I'm gonna get there as soon as I can. Jean Lafitte Mayor Tim Kerner said the town - 20 miles (32 km) south of New Orleans and outside the city's levee protection system - had suffered "catastrophic" flooding. For the residents that stayed, Leorwald called it a personal decision, noting that some people couldnt afford to leave. SC: And I take it you're getting calls from residents as well. "But I've never seen water like this in my life, and it just hit us in the worst way possible.". In an interview with Gulf States Newsroom reporter Shalina Chatlani, Rodriguez details information hes received from police officers working in Jean Lafitte and explains how the situation is likely more catastrophic than when Hurricane Katrina hit the area 16 years ago. And I think, I never seen the list, but I think they got over 400 that stayed. The Hix boys from Baytown were featured on Discovery Channel's. hide caption, Aerial view of Barataria, La. Ms. Lee Sheng estimated that about 40 people had chosen not to evacuate Grand Isle. he captured a Spanish treasure fleet off Cuba's Bay of Mantanzas in 1628. Coastal areas have been particularly badly hit, including the small towns of Jean Lafitte, Barataria, and lower Lafitte. My step father knew where one of these markers were, he had found it while hunting years ago and thought it might be a grave marker or something. Flooding at a mobile home park in LaPlace. Reporting on health care, criminal justice, the economy and other important issues in Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi. "There's nobody that writes how to do this," Martinez said. "This still happens on the Treasure Coast. Read about our approach to external linking. (Photo by Sophia Germer, . 90% Silver! "I had never found a silver coin. However, since it pointed toward someone else's land, he never did or said anything about it. The coins were attributed to the pirate Jean Lafitte because of the hoard location near his base of operations. So I don't know where it's going to stop. But I'm being told that there was 10 foot of water an hour ago in lower Lafitte. after Hurricane Ida hit the town. When the storm came in, he was in the process of building his dream home. Around 1806 Lafitte came to New Orleans and operated a warehouse there where they would smuggle goods. One of the men was found living in east Texas where he had bought a farm. "He grabs it out of the pile and we were just sitting there freaking out.". Gordon White is not only a lucky guy, but a truly generous soul. ", Aerial image of LaPlace, La. Now, more modern equipment was available, and one man used a metal detector and managed to get some interesting readings from the bottom of the lake. Residents there faced brutal winds and heavy rainfall. So was the electricity. These people never dreamed there was money just waiting for themthat is, until the day Dateline came knocking on their doors. In LaPlace, in St. John the Baptist Parish, along the east of the Mississippi River, homes and businesses were torn from their foundations and left without roofs. http://community.webshots.com/user/famleeroots, http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,109722.0.html. hide caption. Energy companies say they are working to restore power, but residents are being warned it could take weeks in some areas. Mears told Wadell he doesn't by any means hope for a tropical storm or hurricane to impact New. "Hurricane Ian, that was my first time actually detecting with my dad on the beach," Kaylee said. after Hurricane Ida. The local police chief said at least 400 people had chosen not to leave ahead of the storm - and dozens needed rescuing from attics and rooftops. LaPlace, a town of quiet subdivisions on the eastern bank of the Mississippi River where many evacuees from New Orleans settled after Katrina, saw many of those homes mangled and streets flooded by Ida. Residents surveying the damage to their home in Houma, La. Items Shane Mears has found in New Orleans, Louisiana, with a metal detector. It's dirty. At conservative gathering, Trump is still the favourite. Hurricane Ida had turned the road into a makeshift boat launch, and Mr. Roque was on a mission to find his relatives. SC: And when do you expect to be able to reach them? The Mystery of the Final Years of Jean Lafitte . "The MinuteCast has just has been a blessing. Treasure hunters seize an opportunity to get an. The feature is available in the free AccuWeather app and on AccuWeather.com. What are you hearing about the situation down there?