News Talk 96.5 KPEL logo
Get our free mobile app

It may seem like a long time ago when Hurricane Ida made landfall in Louisiana, but for some residents - the effects of this devastating storm are still as real today as they were when the evacuation notices went out.

Obviously, the second most destructive storm to ever hit our state (2005's Hurricane Katrina was the worst) brought Mother Nature's Fury to our doorstep and caused a massive amount of damage.  While the loss of life, infrastructure, houses, businesses, and the like are terrible - they are far from the only bad news this storm had to offer.

One of the more macabre side effects of the incredible force applied by the 100+ mph winds and rushing floodwaters is the damage the elements visited upon cemeteries in Ida's path.  Although caskets are buried 6-feet deep and above-ground tombs are made from concrete, there's air inside them - and that makes them buoyant, meaning they could literally float away.  Unfortunately, many final resting places were disturbed and some were even displaced altogether.  In some cases, these remains have yet not been found.

New Orleans Marks The 3 Year Anniversary Of Hurricane Katrina
Photo by Stephen Morton/Getty Images
loading...

According to The Intelligencer, Louisiana's Cemetery Response Task Force has been diligently working to find and re-bury these coffins and move ousted crypts and tombs back to their intended plots - and it isn't a speedy process.  Some of the caskets come to rest in difficult to get to places (like coastal marshes, wedged under stairwells, wooded areas, etc.) - but the hardest part is sometimes identifying who's inside.

Remaining Residents Struggle In Storm-Ravaged Gulf Coast
Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images
loading...

Identification is essential for families to get the available Federal Emergency Management Agency aid for reburial costs.  Unfortunately, determining the identity of the deceased isn't easy because DNA analysis and dental records can't always be used.  The task force is relying on indicators like a "memory tube" containing information about the deceased that is sometimes screwed into the coffin itself or identifying items in the casket placed there by a loved one.  In one case, a grandmother was identified by the marbles placed inside by her grandchildren because of her love for the game.

Just imagine having to bury your loved one twice.  Please pray for our South Louisiana neighbors who are having to go through the grieving process for a second time.

LOOK: The most expensive weather and climate disasters in recent decades

Stacker ranked the most expensive climate disasters by the billions since 1980 by the total cost of all damages, adjusted for inflation, based on 2021 data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The list starts with Hurricane Sally, which caused $7.3 billion in damages in 2020, and ends with a devastating 2005 hurricane that caused $170 billion in damage and killed at least 1,833 people. Keep reading to discover the 50 of the most expensive climate disasters in recent decades in the U.S.

KEEP READING: What to do after a tornado strikes

KEEP READING: Get answers to 51 of the most frequently asked weather questions...

More From News Talk 96.5 KPEL