Hurricane Ida Recovery and Relief
On August 29, 2021, Hurricane Ida made landfall near Port Fourchon, Louisiana as a Category 4 hurricane with winds of 150 mph. Our beloved school, city, parish, and bayou region were all devastated by this destructive and intense hurricane. Many of our Vandebilt Catholic families suffered damages to their homes and properties and were without electricity and water for weeks.
Vandebilt Catholic’s campus suffered wind-related damage in all four main buildings on campus. The main entrance and administrative office building, along with the main instructional building were left with little roofing material and many windows were blown in or suffered debris strikes. The combination of window and roof damage led to those buildings sustaining water damage to the flooring on both the first and second floors.
The upstairs gym and cafeteria building suffered several smaller roof issues that led to water on the court and in the art classrooms. Additionally, the cafeteria area had standing water and some of the windows were broken or jarred open.
The Kolb center suffered a large opening in the roof which led to water damage throughout. Additional structures, including the baseball facility, football fieldhouse, the Brothers Hall, fencing and signage, and other areas on campus also suffered varying degrees of damage.
The clean-up process began soon after the storm with help from both hired professional crews, along with parents, students and faculty who were more than willing to rake leaves and pick up shingles, fallen tree branches and debris.
On September 23, Vandebilt Catholic students and faculty were able to return to classes through platooning with E.D. White on their campus in Thibodaux. Students were welcomed back to campus on Monday, November 8 after working hard in each room and space to create the best possible environment for our students. The campus has concrete floors, some boarded windows, and a few bare walls, but we know this is temporary.
Please continue to send prayers to our Vandebilt Catholic community, as well as all those in the bayou region who are still recovering from the destruction of Hurricane Ida.
Continued relief efforts have been set up through the events below:
The Terrier Fund, the Annual Fund of VCHS, is a yearlong effort designed to offset the school’s annual operating expenses. The funds help to cover the difference between the actual cost of educating a student and the tuition collected. The Terrier Fund helps to keep tuition from rising and keeps a Vandebilt Catholic education more affordable for our community.
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