St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana

St. Bernard Parish (Paroisse de Saint-Bernard) is a located in the  of. As of 2000, its population was 67,229. In 2006, because of the effects of, its population was estimated to be 25,489

The is, the largest city in the parish. The most populated portion of the parish, in the areas near the, is part of the.

Geography
The parish has a total area of 4,646 (1,794 ). 1,204 km² (465 sq mi) of it is land and, at 3,441 km² (1,329 sq mi) water. At 74.07% water, St. Bernard has the largest percentage of area in water of any parish in Louisiana.

The parish of St. Bernard comprises an area of 680 square miles, and embraces numerous small islands. The parish may be classed among the alluvial lands of the state. The ridges comprise the arable lands of the parish and have an area of 37,000 acres (150 km²). The principle streams are the Bayous Terre aux Boeufs and La Loutre. There are numerous smaller streams which are efficient drainage canals. The dominant tree species is, of which the most valuable trees have been cut and manufactured.

Major Highways

 * [[Image:LA 39.PNG|20px]]
 * [[Image:LA 46.PNG|20px]]
 * [[Image:LA 47.PNG|20px]]

Adjacent parishes and features

 * (north)
 * (south & west)
 * (east)
 * (water border)
 * (water border)
 * (south)
 * (west & northwest)

History
St. Bernard Parish contains a small community of descent. Sometimes referred to, informally, as "Spanish Cajuns", the  are descended from who arrived around 1780. This linguistically isolated group eventually developed its own dialect. This settlement was first called La Concepcion and Nueva Galvez by the Spanish officials, but later renamed Terre aux Boeufs (French), Tierra de Bueyes (Spanish) or "land of cattle". However, by the end of the, St. Bernard, the patron saint of , was used in documents describing the area.

The chief historical attraction in St. Bernard Parish is the Chalmette National Historical Park (or Chalmette Battlefield), at which the took place on January 8, 1815. Many street names near the battlefield bear the names of the chief participants, or take a pirate theme (since the pirate was considered to be a hero in the battle). Before, there was a high school named in honor of (then Colonel) , who was the American commanding officer in the battle. The school reopened for the 2006-2007 school year as an elementary school.

From 1919 to 1969, the parish was effectively ruled as part of the fiefdom of, a local official in neighboring. During the of 1927, city and state leaders used  to breach a  at, thirteen miles below Canal Street, in order to save the city of  from flooding. However, this action resulted in the flooding of most of Eastern St. Bernard Parish and parts of Plaquemines Parish, causing widespread destruction. This action was also unnecessary, as the levees breached in over 100 other places.

Hurricane Katrina and Its Aftermath
On, , St. Bernard was devastated by. The storm damaged virtually every structure in the parish. The eye of Katrina passed over the eastern portion of the parish, pushing a 25-foot into the  ("MRGO"). This surge destroyed the parish levees. Almost the entire parish was flooded, most areas getting between 5 and 12 feet of standing water. There may have been as many as two homes untouched by flood waters. The water rose suddenly and violently, during a period that witnesses have reported as no more than fifteen minutes. In many areas, houses were smashed or washed off their foundations by storm surge higher than their roofs.

For more than two months after the storm, much of the parish remained without proper services, including electricity, water, and sewage. Parish President, declared all of the parish's homes unlivable. 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 center serving 1500 meals per day. Made with Love, housed in a, also offered food and clothing distribution, and emotionally supportive volunteers. Upon leaving, EC has offered logistical support for the founding of a new long-term community center for St. Bernard.

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 plant in  and the  plant in, together with a handful of small local stores and businesses.

At the start of January 2006, it was estimated that some 8,000 people were living in the Parish.

Since June 2006, has been housing volunteers assisting residents of St. Bernard Parish in their recovery from Hurricane Katrina. It is located at 1201 Bayou Road, St. Bernard, LA 70085.

Another community-building organization created in the aftermath of the hurricane is the H.O.P.E. Project (www.keep-hope.org), a small collective aiding in rebuilding. The group ran a supply distribution center as well as a daycare and is now focused on construction.

A grass roots organization, the St. Bernard Project (www.stbernardproject.org), opened its doors in September 2006. A fully volunteer-run organization funded by the United Way, they help residents get back into their homes by working on the houses, providing tools, support and where possible, funding.

As of October 2006, the population was estimated to be 25,489

Demographics
As of the of 2000, there are 67,229 people (an increase of 598 or 0.9% over the previous decade), 25,123 households, and 18,289 families residing in the parish. The was 56/km² (145/sq mi). There were 26,790 housing units at an average density of 22/km² (58/sq mi). The racial makeup of the parish was 88.29%, 7.62% or , 0.49% , 1.32% , 0.02% , 0.73% from , and 1.52% from two or more races. 5.09% of the population were or  of any race.

There were 25,123 households out of which 33.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.40% were living together, 14.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.20% were non-families. 22.90% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.12.

In the parish the population was spread out with 25.20% under the age of 18, 9.20% from 18 to 24, 29.20% from 25 to 44, 22.60% from 45 to 64, and 13.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 93.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.10 males.

The median income for a household in the parish was $35,939, and the median income for a family was $42,785. Males had a median income of $34,303 versus $24,009 for females. The for the parish was $16,718. About 10.50% of families and 13.10% of the population were below the, including 16.50% of those under age 18 and 11.40% of those age 65 or over.

Communities
There are no incorporated areas in St. Bernard Parish.


 * Greater New Orleans
 * -- parish seat and parish's population center
 * -- parish seat and parish's population center


 * Eastern St. Bernard

Education
Public schools in the parish are operated by the agency.

Due to Hurricane Katrina, the parish's 20 plus public schools have been consolidated as one school, the, or SBUS. Starting in the 2006-2007 school year, the St. Bernard Unified School will break up into several different schools.

The parish is served by.