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Man loses home to Hurricane Ida, 16 years after grandmother lost hers to Hurricane Katrina

Man loses home to Hurricane Ida, 16 years after grandmother lost hers to Hurricane Katrina
this is Duane Sylvie. Hurricane ida destroyed his home last year a decade and a half after Hurricane Katrina wiped away his grandmother's home. He took us to his now unlivable house to see the damage. So this is home, this is home for how long I've been here since 2008. So you were here for about what? 10 years where you had to leave? Yes sir. When was the last time you were back here? Oh when I'm through everything up, wow this is home just at home. Oh my nephew stuff my stuff. Look at the toys. Just right here can you reuse these call the mold? Look at all this, it's heartbreaking man. Seeing everything you worked for. Look at it. Mhm. Exactly. Just it's heartbreaking man, yep. Just seeing my nephew stuff. My kids their room is that way ceiling, you can feel it. They lost everything. Oh my gosh the ceiling fell in. Can you show me? Mhm. I don't want to, wow this is not livable. No, they told me I could live in it. He told me I was able to live in it. You still have the Super Bowl Champions, philadelphia eagles wow. And so this was where and here was your kids in here. Yes sir. Mhm. Watch it. Yeah that won't be here too though. The mode. See the water line, wow. I mean that was a good if your stilts are seven ft That had to have been at least 10 or 12 after Katrina They told us seven ft was good. Now they want us to go 15 and I had back surgery. As you can see, I'm struggling. So how can I climb all those stairs? You know? So it's rough, man. It's rough.
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Man loses home to Hurricane Ida, 16 years after grandmother lost hers to Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Ida destroyed Dwaine Sylve's home in 2021 — roughly 16 years after Hurricane Katrina wiped away his grandmother's home.He had been in the home since 2008, but now, it's unliveable. His home in Port Sulfur, Louisiana, about 90 minutes south of New Orleans, had been built on stilts seven feet off the ground. But it still wasn’t high enough to keep out the floodwaters brought on by Hurricane Ida last year.Sylve took Hearst Television’s Chief National Investigative Correspondent Mark Albert to tour the home now marked with large splotches of mold, caved-in ceilings and ruined belongings. "It's heartbreaking, man, seeing everything you worked for," Sylvie said during the brief tour inside. "Look at it."In all, his neighborhood lost nine of its 11 houses to floodwaters brought on by Ida. That's on top of Hurricane Katrina destroying his grandmother's house nearby in 2005.Watch video of the pair's home walkthrough in the player at the top of this page.This story is part of Hearst Television's Forecasting our Future initiative, which aims to help educate communities about the local impacts of weather and climate.'Forecasting Our Future' Full CoverageSurvey: Most concerned about future extreme weather, only half taking steps Why a 1-foot rise in sea level has a bigger impact than you thinkMan loses home to Hurricane Ida, 16 years after grandmother lost hers to Hurricane KatrinaVirtual reality increasingly used to convey climate urgencyAll 'Forecasting Our Future' special reports

Hurricane Ida destroyed Dwaine Sylve's home in 2021 — roughly 16 years after Hurricane Katrina wiped away his grandmother's home.

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He had been in the home since 2008, but now, it's unliveable.

His home in Port Sulfur, Louisiana, about 90 minutes south of New Orleans, had been built on stilts seven feet off the ground. But it still wasn’t high enough to keep out the floodwaters brought on by Hurricane Ida last year.

Sylve took Hearst Television’s Chief National Investigative Correspondent Mark Albert to tour the home now marked with large splotches of mold, caved-in ceilings and ruined belongings.

"It's heartbreaking, man, seeing everything you worked for," Sylvie said during the brief tour inside. "Look at it."

In all, his neighborhood lost nine of its 11 houses to floodwaters brought on by Ida. That's on top of Hurricane Katrina destroying his grandmother's house nearby in 2005.

Watch video of the pair's home walkthrough in the player at the top of this page.

This story is part of Hearst Television's Forecasting our Future initiative, which aims to help educate communities about the local impacts of weather and climate.

'Forecasting Our Future' Full Coverage