MEMO: September 15, 2008

PORT FOURCHON MATTERS!

Port Fourchon, on Lafourche Parish's coast near the mouth of Bayou Lafourche between Barataria and Terrebonne bays, supplies 16 to 18% of the nation's oil. It services almost all deepwater rigs and nearly half of all shallow rigs in the Gulf, which accounted for 80% of U.S. offshore oil last year.

Port Fourchon also is host to the Louisiana Offshore Oil Port, a terminal that takes oil from supertankers from around the world and pumps it inland via pipelines. At least 28 billion dollars of the nations oil flows thru the LOOP.

SKA member Anthony & Rebecca Toups and their family owns the popular Kajun Sportsman complex, a motel, restaurant, deli, gas station, and bar. Down the street at the entrance to Port Fourchon he owns the Kajun Truck Stop, a popular spot for the truckers who bring in supplies to the Port for the offshore oil platforms. They have a buffet restaurant, a store, fuel, and a bar and casino.

As most of you know, Hurricane Gustav severely damaged the Port and with it the Toups' properties.

As things were getting back to order and the Port was about to reopen, here came Hurricane Ike. The Toups' had their property cleaned, tarps on the roof of the motel where it was damaged, and the deli open. They had moved their houseboat up the bayou for protection and out of harms way. The truck stop store was open but neither facility would be able to pump fuel till after the pumps were replaced. The walls for the buffet were blown away in the Truck Stop and Danny Mathis was due Monday or Tuesday to start laying block for the walls. All the docks at the Sportsman were gone.

Everything came to a screeching halt as Ike pushed water back into the bays and rivers again flooding the entire Port area including the Toups' properties.

Deona and I went to Fourchon to help with the cleanup. I shot the pictures so those of you that have been to the Kajun Sportsman tournaments could see the devastation.

The levies in Grand Isle did not hold and the entire island was covered with a couple feet of sand. The government was working on the roads but no one was allowed to get onto the island. I'm sure after Ike they will be starting over. Most homes and buildings were in reasonable shape.

Primarily the floods damaged Leeville where the Bobby Lynn fish camp and Boudreaux's Motel are.

As Ike approached, Anthony, his brother Joey, Jon Stevens, and myself, raced to Fourchon to fill the generator tanks with diesel in the hope they would keep the freezers running and restaurant food from spoiling. We were one of the last to leave the Port and by the time we finished the roads were flooded. Anthony proved a Ford does very well in a two-foot chop.

One thing that impressed me was the way Entergy and other government agencies went right to work to restore power and other services to the stricken areas.

Our prayers and thoughts now turn to our Texas members and their families.

Click to view pictures from Fourchon...

More Press Releases and Articles