Events

Grand Isle will hold a Day of Remembrance to honor the victims of Cheniere Caminada Hurricane of 1893

The town of Grand Isle will hold a day of remembrance Sunday, October 1, 2023, to commemorate the 130-year anniversary of the 1893 Cheniere Caminada Hurricane.

“It was a day that changed our community forever. We lost so many lives, including whole families. We will never forget them,” said David Camardelle, Grand Isle Mayor. “The day of remembrance is a day to honor all those who were lost and to celebrate the community that we have here today. We are still here, we survived. This is also going to be a day to celebrate our resilience.”

The town of Grand Isle along with Our Lady of the Isle Catholic Church are commemorating the 130-year anniversary with a day of remembrance that includes a blessing of the cemeteries, a memorial service and a reception with food and music onthe grounds of Our Lady of the Isle Catholic Church. Maps of a self-guided historical walking tour will also be available forthose who want to see some of the historical homes on Grand Isle.

“As we mark the 130th anniversary of the Great Hurricane that devastated Cheniere and Grand Isle, we invite the resilient people of South Louisiana, and especially the descendants of those we tragically lost, to come together in remembrance,” said Father Mark Toups, Pastor of Our Lady of the Isle Catholic Church.“Join us for the blessing of the tombs and an ecumenical prayer service at 2:00 pm, as we honor our past and fortify our hope for the future.”

Schedule of events:

12:30 p.m. to 12:55 p.m. – Prayer service, blessing of the tombs and rededication of the Cheniere Hurricane Monument, Cheniere Cemetery

1:15 p.m. to 1:40 p.m. – Prayer service and blessing of the tombs, Grand Isle Cemetery on Cemetery Lane

2 p.m. to 3 p.m. – Memorial Service, Our Lady of the Isle Catholic Church, 195 Ludwig Ln, Grand Isle, LA

3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. – Reception, food, drinks and music on the grounds of Our Lady of the Isle Catholic Church

On October 1, 1893, an unnamed category 4 hurricane made landfall at Cheniere Caminada, just west of the town of Grand Isle. The town of Cheniere Caminada lost 779 lives, half of the town’s 1,500 residents. Many of the residents perished intheir homes or were swept out to sea. The storm claimed a total of two thousand lives across the southeastern part of the United States, earning it the status of America’s most deadly natural disaster.