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 from the Mississippi River. In 1947, the Fort Lauderdale hurricane struck the New Orleans area. There was moderate wind damage. Flood prevention was largely successful in Orleans Parish, but there was severe flooding in the new East Jefferson suburbs near the Lake. Hurricane Flossy in 1956 resulted in flooding in parts of Eastern New Orleans. Hurricane Betsy in 1965 alerted a new generation to the threat posed by major hurricanes. As radar showed the storm heading for the city, a mandatory evacuation of Eastern New Orleans was declared. The Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet Canal channeled storm surge into the metro area.