Cameron, Louisiana facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Cameron, Louisiana
Census-designated place
Cameron, Louisiana Location in Louisiana
Country	United States
State	Louisiana
Parish	Cameron
Area
• Total	12.60 sq mi (32.64 km2)
• Land	11.43 sq mi (29.60 km2)
• Water	1.17 sq mi (3.04 km2)
Elevation	3 ft (0.9 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	315
• Density	27.57/sq mi (10.64/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (CST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
Zip code	70631
Area code(s)	337
FIPS code	22-12000

Cameron is a census-designated place (CDP) in and the parish seat of Cameron Parish, Louisiana, United States. It is part of the Lake Charles Metropolitan Statistical Area. After sustaining extreme damage from Hurricane Rita in 2005 and Hurricane Ike in 2008, in the 2010 Census Cameron was recorded as having a population of only 406, a 79% drop since 2000.

History

September 23, 2008 -- Aerial view of Hurricane Ike's destruction of Cameron Parish. Calvin Tolleson/Federal Emergency Management Agency

In 1957, Cameron was nearly destroyed by Hurricane Audrey. A storm surge of 12 feet (3.7 m) and 150 miles per hour (240 km/h) winds caused the death of more than 300 residents of the town.

Nearly fifty years later, in late September 2005, Hurricane Rita hit the town. This time, virtually everyone had evacuated beforehand, and only one man was reported killed in the town. He was reported as having been sick and decided to stay in town through the storm. His body was found in Lake Charles, 52 miles inland.

On September 14, 2008, Hurricane Ike leveled Cameron with a 22-foot (6.7 m) storm surge just as the town was recovering from Rita in 2005. Ike destroyed more than 90 percent of the homes in the parish seat and caused catastrophic flooding in every part of the parish. Damage due to storm surge and winds was far worse than what was took place with Hurricane Rita. A 2010 report on the damage sustained from the effects of Rita and Ike stated that few people returned to the town to rebuild after the hurricanes, due to stricter building codes and high insurance costs that increased the cost of living dramatically. None of the stores have been rebuilt; only a gas station, bank, post office, and a restaurant remain (the latter two of which are still housed in trailers). Most of the residents still live in mobile homes. The First Baptist Church in the community was rebuilt in 2010.

Culture

Cameron is on the Creole Nature Trail, a National Scenic Byway.

Cameron is home to the Louisiana Fur and Wildlife Festival held in January.

Geography

Cameron is located in south-central Cameron Parish at 29°47′17″N 93°18′42″W / 29.78806°N 93.31167°W / 29.78806; -93.31167 (29.788055, -93.311764), along the Gulf of Mexico at an elevation of 4 feet (1.2 m) above sea level. State highways 27 and 82 pass through the community as Marshall Street, crossing the Calcasieu Ship Channel just west of town. Highway 82 leads east 93 miles (150 km) to Abbeville and west 48 miles (77 km) to Port Arthur, Texas. Highway 27 leads west then north 48 miles (77 km) to Sulphur. Lake Charles is 52 miles (84 km) to the north.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 12.6 square miles (32.6 km²), of which 11.4 square miles (29.6 km²) is land and 1.2 square miles (3.0 km²), or 9.31%, is water.

Climate

Shrimping and fishing in the Gulf

Damage in Cameron from Hurricane Rita (photo taken in April 2006)

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 1,965 people, 695 households, and 510 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 70.5 people per square mile (27.2/km²). There were 800 housing units at an average density of 28.7 per square mile (11.1/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 82.49% White, 11.86% African American, 0.56% Native American, 0.31% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 3.36% from other races, and 1.37% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.55% of the population.

There were 695 households, out of which 37.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.5% were married couples living together, 14.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.6% were non-families. 21.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.77 and the average family size was 3.17.

In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 27.5% under the age of 18, 10.8% from 18 to 24, 31.1% from 25 to 44, 21.5% from 45 to 64, and 9.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 104.2 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $30,370, and the median income for a family was $33,661. Males had a median income of $24,762 versus $26,406 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $13,499. About 17.0% of families and 19.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.1% of those under age 18 and 13.6% of those age 65 or over.

Education

The Cameron Parish School Board serves the town.

Prior to Hurricane Rita's impact in September 2005, Cameron Elementary School served pre-kindergarten through 7th grade students, while high schoolers attended Johnson Bayou High School. Hurricane Rita damaged both schools and also South Cameron High School, a K–12 school in Creole. Students from both high schools shared Grand Lake High School's campus with Grand Lake for nearly a year. In fall 2006, using portable buildings, high school students returned to the Johnson Bayou campus while Cameron Elementary, South Cameron Elementary, and South Cameron High School students were consolidated on the South Cameron High School campus.

Hurricane Ike in 2008 caused varying degrees of damage to every school and library in Cameron Parish. Most were flooded by storm surge and sustained wind damage, and as a result, all schools were closed. Four new schools were built over the following seven years, the last being a new Johnson Bayou High School in Cameron.

The Cameron Parish Public Library operates the main Cameron Parish Library at 469 Marshall Street in Cameron.

Cameron Parish is in the service area of Sowela Technical Community College.

Images for kids

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  Shrimping and fishing in the Gulf

See also

In Spanish: Cameron (Luisiana) para niños