Johnson Bayou

Johnson Bayou is a small unincorporated community located on the Creole Nature Trail along the Gulf Coast in Cameron Parish, Louisiana, United States, and is named after Daniel Johnson, who came to the area ''circa'' 1790. The village is a barrier island spread across coastal chenieres which were formed by deltaic sedimentation by the shifting of the Mississippi River. This geologic formation, the coastal cheniere, is found only in a few locations across the globe. The population of the community was approximately 400 before Hurricanes Laura and Delta devastated the community in August and October of 2020. By September of 2021 the population had recovered to almost 300.

Johnson Bayou is part of the Lake Charles Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

On October 12, 1886, Johnson Bayou was completely destroyed by the "great storm of 1886;" a storm surge of between seven and twelve feet that swept inland at Johnson Bayou, killing between 50 and 100 people. Between Sabine Pass and Beaumont, thirty miles of track of the Sabine and East Texas Railway, were damaged badly and partly washed away.

Johnson Bayou was hit again by Hurricane Audrey in 1957, and yet again by Hurricane Rita on September 24, 2005. On September 13, 2007, Hurricane Humberto made landfall west of Johnson Bayou at High Island, Texas, bringing heavy rains to the community. On September 13, 2008, Hurricane Ike made landfall on the upper Texas coast, causing extensive damage to the region (NOAA).

In 2020, Johnson Bayou was struck by two hurricanes: Hurricane Laura on August 27, 2020 and Hurricane Delta on October 6, 2020.

Geography

Johnson Bayou is located on a barrier island on Louisiana Highway 82, west of Holly Beach, and southeast, across the Sabine Pass channel, of Port Arthur, Texas.

Culture

The Holleyman Bird Sanctuary/ Peveto Woods Bird and Butterfly Sanctuary is located in the community, and is south of the Sabine National Wildlife Refuge. Johnson Bayou is home to four natural gas pipelines, and the home of one of the largest LNG Terminals in the world. This LNG regasification terminal is being built by Cheniere Energy. https://web.archive.org/web/20071215224830/http://www.cheniere.com/default.shtml

Education

Cameron Parish School Board operates Johnson Bayou High School, a combined primary and secondary school serving the area.

Cameron Parish Public Library operated the Johnson Branch at 4586 Gulf Beach Highway in the area until the Mandatory Evacuation for Hurricane Laura in August on 2020. Currently the library expects to reopen in January of 2022. Louisiana Library Directory
" ''State Library of Louisiana''. Accessed September 22, 2008.

Gallery

File:JohnsonsBayou1886Leslies.jpg, Destruction from the Great October Hurricane of 1886
Image:ALL.HM_050.JPG, The beach between Johnson Bayou and Holly Beach prior to Hurricane Rita in 2005
Image:House in Johnson Bayou, Louisiana destroyed by Hurricane Katrina.jpg, A house in Johnson Bayou destroyed by Hurricane Rita
Image:Hurricane Ike Johnson Bayou LA damage.jpg, Hurricane Ike damage to main store and buildings
Image:Hurricane Ike damage at Johnson Bayou (LA) School entrance.jpg, Hurricane Ike damage to school building
Image:Hurricane Ike classroom damage at Johnson Bayou (LA) School.jpg, School suffered severe damage inside building due to Hurricane Ike
Image:Hurricane Ike Johnson Bayou LA church and buildings.jpg, Church and buildings damaged by Hurricane Ike
Image:Hurricane Ike Johnson Bayou LA brick and dbl-wide houses.jpg, Brick house completely destroyed with nearby double wide house severely damaged from Hurricane Ike

See also

*1886 Atlantic hurricane season

References

*Galveston ''Daily News'', October 14–23, 1886.

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Unincorporated communities in Cameron Parish, Louisiana
Unincorporated communities in the Lake Charles metropolitan area
Unincorporated communities in Louisiana
Populated coastal places in Louisiana