FISHING CAMPS, LAKESIDE EATERIES HIT HARD: REST OF ORLEANS DODGES DAMAGE
Dozens of lakefront camps disappeared, two landmark West End restaurants
Times - Picayune (Sep 29, 1998)

Overview

Dozens of lakefront camps disappeared, two landmark West End restaurants
were torn apart, and flood waters reached airplane wings at Lakefront Airport
on Monday in some of the worst repercussions of Hurricane Georges' western
edge.

While most New Orleanians suffered little damage from the hurricane, residents
and property owners along a stormy lakefront faced major damage.

Pounding whitecaps and a relentless north wind nearly wiped out a historic
collection of camps along Hayne Boulevard in eastern New Orleans. In the
Little Woods area near Paris Road, storm waters undermined a section of
railroad track, jeopardizing rail service there.

By late afternoon, flood waters covered much of the West End section. Bruning's
Seafood Restaurant, dating to 1859, was sheared in half and part of the
recently closed Fitzgerald's restaurant collapsed.

Most of the city received only a glancing blow. Tree limbs fell across
yards and streets, often knocking down utility lines. Electricity was out
in many neighborhoods through the day.

Streets were nearly deserted, with police enforcing a curfew until late
Monday, when evacuees began swarming back to their homes, despite continuing
warnings about foul weather.

New Orleans public schools and Archdiocese of New Orleans schools are scheduled
to be closed today to allow time for cleanup and damage assessment.

Throughout the Central Business District and French Quarter, there was
little activity Monday. Sheets of rain slapped into shuttered storefronts.
Outside the Hilton Riverside, the usual line of taxis and airport shuttles
had been replaced by a guests walking their dogs.

While most city residents were trying to get home and get the power back
on, owners of camps along Hayne Boulevard saw that their rustic houses
had disappeared into the roiling surf. Within several hours early Monday,
splintered lumber and floating furniture were all that remained of most
camps

At West End, structures that have long weathered storms fell apart. The
17th Street Canal was littered with wood and other debris from Bruning's
restaurant.

"We had no idea it was going to be so bad," said Jimmy Bruning Urrate,
51, an owner who has worked 38 years at the well-known seafood restaurant.
"We figured we would have minor damage, but not a total loss like this."

Urrate said Bruning's will be rebuilt.

At Jaeger's Seafood Beer Garden nearby, owner Allen Jaeger holed up in
the building during the storm, hoping to protect it. The Fitzgerald's restaurant
building, which Jaeger owns, is probably too badly damaged to save, he
said.

"At least half of it's in the lake," Jaeger said. "I would say we have
about $75,000 in damages to that building."

Jaeger said damage to West End buildings was caused in part by a tornadolike
wind that roared through at about 1 a.m.

Flood water covered landing strips at Lakefront Airport, reaching the wings
of some parked airplanes.

There also were reports of extensive damage to homes in the Venetian Isles
subdivision and at Lake Catherine. Authorities were trying to assess the
damage late Monday.

[ORLEANS Edition]
Times - Picayune
New Orleans, La.
Sep 29, 1998

 Tell a friend
 Printer friendly version