The parish had received more than 200 calls for rescue since Sunday. I've heard for years, about a spot along Dickinson Bayou where Lafitte supposedly hid Treasure (very very near a certain Cemetary), Some of the add-ons on this site are powered by. According to one account, published in 1885, The Historical Guide to New Orleans, Jean Lafitte died of sickness on the island of Mugeres, off the Yucatan, in 1826. When the storm came in, he was in the process of building his dream home. What does it do any good for me to sit back there and drown or not make myself available? These hunters were busy combing the beaches and unearthing shiny pieces of Treasure Coast history. He kept asking, When is the eye passing, when is the eye passing?. When the river levels drop, Mears and his exploration buddy, Susanna French, load up and head out with shovels, a probe and a metal detector. Though floodwaters in Lafitte have gone down significantly, it still presents a major issue, Lee Sheng said during a press conference. IE 11 is not supported. There those coins stayed until 2005, when hurricane Katrina knocked down the oak tree, revealing the treasure entombed in its roots. That's my real deal. ", "It's definitely 'go time.' The Hix boys from Baytown were featured on Discovery Channel's. That includes the town of Jean Lafitte, as well as Crown Point, lower Lafitte and Barataria, all of south Jefferson Parish, where sustained winds reached up to 70 mph and floodwater was reportedly between 10 to 12 feet. Mears has a personal collection at home and said he shares the rest of the treasures he digs up with local libraries. Aerial image of Jean Lafitte, La. As such, the treasure hunter keeps a close eye on the forecast and levee construction projects protecting the Big Easy to plan each expedition. I just don't know what to think. Kerner told Weather.com that the local levee was overpowered by Ida's floodwaters. Jimmys headed back to Mississippi to claim his shares and personally met with Treasurer Reeves. Items Shane Mears has found in New Orleans, Louisiana, with a metal detector. "There were a bunch of old Spanish coins that were found recently, a bunch of old shipwreck pieces, fasteners, different things like that," Martinez said. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. "But I've never seen water like this in my life, and it just hit us in the worst way possible.". And I don't know what's going to happen. I can't do nothing. The demons from his days in Vietnam were haunting him. SC: I do know that the state had requested help from the National Guard and had activated the entire National Guard and even got help from FEMA resources. (Photo by Sophia Germer, . For the residents that stayed, Leorwald called it a personal decision, noting that some people couldnt afford to leave. He's had plenty of success over the years finding some of the millions of dollars worth of Spanish treasures. I saved the newspaper to my hard drive and will try to break it down. This is the first time in my lifetime that I've left back there where I'm not actually looking at it. hide caption. ", Aerial image of LaPlace, La. Accuweather National Reporter Bill Wadell didn't mind getting dirty to take viewers along a journey with a history buff in New Orleans who searches for Louisiana's forgotten past. The man who was killed left an estate of 60,000 in cash plus land in Mississippi. SC: And I take it you're getting calls from residents as well. Every little thing that I owned and had, its gone, Mr. Adams said. Homes in the town of Laplace, to the west of New Orleans, were also flooded. I'm going by what I'm hearing. Much of New Orleans has been plunged into darkness, with only emergency lighting seen in many areas. There is no way to know that these coins are his, but the timing, location, and the fact that it is buried treasure all hint toward not only a pirate, but the pirate Jean Lafitte. Some small towns outside New Orleans were inundated. Articles, Great Discoveries: Metal Detectorist Finds 14th-Century Coin, 300-Year-Old Hairpin Beneath Farmland, The Market for Queen Elizabeth Collectibles Soars, Money as Marketing Material: Vintage Bank Note Ads. Bye. Best of all, Dateline was one of the ones who get to deliver the good news in person. His 16-year-old daughter, Kaylee, has joined him combing the beach. In Mississippi, one in every four people has money waiting for themthats a lot of people who arent checking. If this item contains incorrect or inappropriate information please, Relevant hide caption. Bill Wadell interviewing Shane Mears on the bank of the Mississippi River about his treasures. Several small towns in the southern half of the parish, outside the giant storm protection system encircling New Orleans and some of its suburbs, were inundated. There are a lot of people that are still there and OK, sitting on the porch, waving at us, Sheriff Lopinto said. 2023 BBC. And they got some older folks back after that, I spoke back in. MR: I think that the sheriff's office, the Jefferson Parish Sheriffs Office, did a really, really good job of trying to find out who stayed. But I'm being told that there was 10 foot of water an hour ago in lower Lafitte. Fast forward 25 years. AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier, Spectrum, FuboTV, Philo, and Verizon Fios, Reports: 3 children dead, 2 wounded in attack at Texas home, Kellyanne Conway, George Conway To Divorce After Decadeslong Marriage: Report, School punished teen girl for working out in sports bra in 100-degree Texas heat, ACLU says, U.S. court won't require FAA to make airplane seat size, spacing rules, 'Extremely dangerous': Spike in illegal crossings at Canada-Vermont border has feds sounding alarm, Fatal police-involved shooting in Paterson, Officials unprepared for epic mountain blizzard, leaving many trapped and desperate, These huskies have big hearts': How our bond with dogs inspired the Iditarod, Peoria's year of adversity turns into 4A basketball championship in win over Deer Valley. I know that you're not there right now. The people that didn't leave, they got some people probably thought they could wait it out, had the resources to leave. While at my favorite used book store some months ago I stumbled across a copy of a book that I read as a kid. after Hurricane Ida. Its never been as bad as it is this time, said Jesse Touro, 62, who was rescued from Jean Lafitte after riding out storms in town for the past 12 years. "The treasure," he added. What is the latest news? Its not coming anymore. Now the story gets complicated. In a recent report from multiple U.S. federal agencies, updated projections for sea level rise found that water levels along the Gulf Coast near Lafitte are expected to rise up 1.5 - 2 feet by 2050. SC: Well, thanks for chatting with us and giving us that update. Galliano, on the Gulf Coast, has also been badly affected. Across the region, many continue to be without power, after the winds downed power lines and other infrastructure. Inc, Catalogue Of Coins In The Panjab Museum Lahore Vol I, Northwick Collection Of Coins And Medals Comprising The Greek Series, Fi, Catalogue Of Oriental Coins In The British Museum Vol V: The Coins Of Th, The Coins Of The Sultns Of Dehli In The British Museum, Catalogue Of The Valuable Collection Of Coins And Medals, The Property O, 2023 - WorthPoint Corporation | 5 Concourse Parkway NE, Suite 2900. When no one claims these valuables, theyre eventually turned over to a state, where they may languish for years. You can't get to. (AccuWeather / Bill Wadell), "I do it for the thrills and the booty," Mears quipped. In Jean Lafitte, a village of about 2,000 people, about 400 residents initially refused the mandatory evacuation order, according to the sheriff. In the French Quarter, the streets seemed to have been washed almost clean. It's been, been really, really good, knock on wood. I try to prepare for the worst and pray for the best. But I think some of them, which is the ones that my heart goes out, that my heart goes out to all of them, God bless them. I'm in contact with Joe Valiante and Tim and them up in EOC. SC: And when do you expect to be able to reach them? But the deputies gave the helicopter crew a thumbs up on Monday, Sheriff Lopinto said in an interview with WWL radio. Because the water system parish-wide is still being repaired, Lee Sheng said residents must limit how much wastewater goes down the drain for now. Images showed streets under water and gardens submerged. None of them like this one, he repeated. hide caption. New Orleans went from having a public school system to having a school system . Lots Of Barbers Listed This Week! JavaScript is disabled. The hurricane passed through the area, flattening trees and ripping apart smaller buildings. And meet Gordon White: he may not be your typical Katrina victim. Kaylee said. I'm going by what I'm being told. I'm thinking tomorrow morning, I don't know if I'm going to be there at four o'clock in the morning, at three o'clock in the morning, I just don't know. Storm-hit New Orleans under curfew amid blackout, In pictures: Hurricane Ida lashes Gulf Coast, Street fighting in Bakhmut but Russia not in control, Saving Private Ryan actor Tom Sizemore dies at 61, Alex Murdaugh's legal troubles are far from over, The children left behind in Cuba's mass exodus, Xi Jinping's power grab - and why it matters, Snow, Fire and Lights: Photos of the Week. Satellite images taken by Maxar on Tuesday show extensive damage along the Gulf Coast and southern Louisiana following the fifth strongest storm to ever hit the US mainland. Tropical storms, hurricanes and flooded rivers can be incredibly destructive, but they also help uncover memories from the past. What's the least amount of exercise we can get away with? before Hurricane Ida. Lafitte attempt to placate Monroe by hanging the miscreant, but the chief executive sent a war-brig to Campeche whose captain issued an ultimatum to Lafitte and his pirates: Vacate Campeche or face expulsion by U.S. armed forces. Treasure hunters were out on the beach Friday after Hurricane Nicole turned up the sand, unearthing shiny pieces of Treasure Coast history. SC: Thank you so much, Sheriff Rodriguez, I can only imagine what's going through your mind right now, and please stay in touch and keep us updated. The Gulf Coast from Mississippi to Louisiana was left in shambles. "I opened my hand and there is a little gold coin in my hand. Read about our approach to external linking. I mean I'm lost for words it's so rare. Thats a lot of money for a man who was a laborer just a few years before. Treasure hunters seize an opportunity to get an even better chance of finding coins, jewels and artifacts from Spanish shipwrecks from the 1700s. Some of the add-ons on this site are powered by. Edgar Sandoval contributed reporting from Houma, La. The town is about 20 miles south of New Orleans. "This still happens on the Treasure Coast. But the ones that don't have money to go and don't have transportation to go in and are stuck back there, that's sad. They've got people that's trapped back there and there's no way to get home. But because of the hurricane, he cant get work crews to finish the job. Poking at the can was the first step in uncovering a buried treasure of rare coins estimated to be worth $10 million. Claiborne, and Andrew Jackson during the War of 1812 Jean Lafitte was born in France in 1780. Satellite image 2021 Maxar Technologies Your credit card or PayPal account will be charged. Pray for the people back there. In them, his 11-year-old brother, Juan, kept calling out, Hold the door, hold the door, terrified of the storms bluster. Hurricanes, cold fronts are great," Martinez said. Satellite image 2021 Maxar Technologies before Hurricane Ida hit This story was told to me several years ago by a man in his 80 s Back in 1940 or 41 two men hired to clean up around what is said to be Lafittes red house disapeared after a few days. We find old coins. Sounds like the Hendricks lake treasure. This hobby became a true passion for Mears after Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast in 2005. I have a file 2 in thick on Hendricks lake treasure. New Orleans and its hardened storm infrastructure appeared to have held up, though the city had no electricity. He started with the company as a kid , fresh from the battlefields of Vietnam. The bay takes its name from the Spanish novel Don Quixote, in which the . "This is still real," Martinez said. Here ya go Bum, Passed by it again on Tuesday. A few New Orleanians had begun venturing out to walk their dogs, ride bikes and assess the state of things early on Monday. I know I'm gonna get there as soon as I can. His aunt and uncle, Diane and Buddy Nolan, had ridden out the fierce Category 4 storm at home in the hardy fishing village of Jean Lafitte. One estimate suggested. "That's why we're out here. Digging in the toilets," Mears said. Saving history," New Orleans relic hunter Shane Mears told Wadell. The full extent of the wreckage in places like Houma remained unclear. He had no idea there was $30,000 just sitting in state coffers. I was crying, Juan recalled as he stood on the flooded street, the water lapping over his rubber boots. I was looking at the weather on the TV, but it went out. SC: I understand that this area was under a mandatory evacuation. At the last I heard, it was still a Cat 4. You know, most of them that's going to be the worst off are the ones that are not going to have insurance. Aerial image of LaPlace, La. It was just rough, Mr. Sanford, 64, recounted, sitting back on a dry patch at the end of the street on Monday. As of Tuesday, rescues were still being made with Louisiana's National Guard reporting that personnel have rescued 359 citizens and 55 pets either by high-water vehicles, by boats or by air during the aftermath from Hurricane Ida. In other areas gardens and roads were littered with debris. Hurricane Nicole's pounding waves and storm surge eroded the coastline. That means everything that's going on is still going on back there. There are many stories about what happened to Lafitte and where he died. Atlanta, Georgia 30328 | 877.481.5750. He stated while talking to someone on the radio, who was a Jean L researcher, the guy described the markings Lafitte would leave pointing to treasure. He sent the chopper anyway to see if it could spot his 10 deputies who remained in a bunker on the isle during the storm. hide caption. the hardy fishing village of Jean Lafitte. Also, Dateline shows how you may be able to find that forgotten treasure on your own. This is a storm from the left side of Lafitte. Aerial image of Barataria, La. After gathering strength over the Gulf of Mexico, Hurricane Katrina struck Louisiana and Mississippi on August 29, 2005, eventually carving a path up the East Coast. Jefferson Parish was hit by Hurricane Ida's winds that reached up to 70 mph and floodwater that reportedly reached between 10 to 12 feet, according to New Orleans Public Radio. Aerial image of Barataria, La. after Hurricane Ida hit. Oak Island the Strange, the Bizarre, and Maybe the "Truth! You always see other people going through this on the news. Treasure hunters seize an opportunity to get an. The authorities had rescued more than 70 people in Jean Lafitte and surrounding communities. This one right here was the worst one Ive been in. The wind was howling, he said, and seemed to never stop. The Louisiana town of Jean Lafitte has been "totally devastated" by Hurricane Ida, with rescuers unable to reach hundreds of stranded residents after a vehicle wiped out a bridge, Mayor Tim Kerner .