Irish Channel, New Orleans The neighborhood included the St. Thomas Development. Built on the city's old high ground, the neighborhood escaped the catastrophic flooding of most of the city in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005 (see: Effect of Hurricane Katrina on New Orleans). A historically working class neighborhood of New Orleans, the Irish Channel is home to a number of notable landmarks, including: The Irish Channel is zoned to schools in the New Orleans Public Schools (NOPS) and the Recovery School District (RSD). The Batiste Cultural Arts Academy is a K-8 charter school operated by the charter management organization ReNEW Schools that
Hurricane preparedness for New Orleans Hurricane preparedness for New Orleans Hurricane preparedness in New Orleans has been an issue since the city's early settlement because of its location. New Orleans was built on a marsh. Unlike the first two centuries of its existence, today a little under half of the modern city sits below sea level. The city is surrounded by the Mississippi River, Lake Pontchartrain to the north, and Lake Borgne on the east. The earliest-settled parts of New Orleans and surrounding communities are above sea level. However, flooding was long a threat, from the periodic high waters of the Mississippi and from more