Louisiana is no stranger to hurricanes—but we haven’t always had as much preparation time for the storms as we do now. Perhaps no other storm taught us this more than Hurricane Betsy which hit in 1965 and changed Louisiana forever.

Hurricane Betsy began its life on August 27th, 1965, and reached high winds of 155 mph.
Wikipedia / David Roth, Weather Prediction Center
Because the storm was particularly erratic and hard to predict, it made it difficult for people in its path to prepare for all of the damage that came their way.
The storm dumped over 12 inches of rain as measured in New Orleans, as well as pushing a major storm surge into Lake Pontchartrain.
Wikipedia / LBJ Library photo by Yoichi R. Okamoto
It also was one of the first times the MR-GO shipping channel contributed to major flooding in the city, flooding the Lower Ninth Ward extensively, mirroring the flooding that took place following Hurricane Katrina.
The storm touched down in Louisiana after causing lots of damage in the Bahamas and Florida.
Wikicommons / U.S. Navy National Museum of Naval Aviation
Many swamp settlements, like the one pictured here in St. Bernard Parish, lost their livelihoods and had to be rescued.

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The flooding in New Orleans was completely devastating.
Wikipedia / LBJ Library photo by Yoichi R. Okamoto
It prompted a visit by the current president, LBJ, who took this photo while flying over in Air Force One.
The lower ninth ward was the most devastated neighborhood, taking years to recover from the devastation.
Wikipedia / Public Domain / NOAA
There was also lots of other damage that happened to areas surrounding, affecting the economy in the area for months to come.
Wikicommons / U S Department of Defense
It was truly a turning point event in the history of New Orleans.
This early satellite image of the hurricane shows just how massive the storm was.
Wikipedia / NOAA Photo Library
Remembering hurricanes like Betsy is important as we prepare for more storms in the years to come.

Were you alive during Hurricane Betsy? What do you remember about it? Let us know about your experiences in the comments below. We love to hear your experiences and thoughts! Thanks for sharing.

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