Louisiana casinos hit hard by Hurricane Laura
Louisiana (in the United States) was one of the targets of Hurricane Laura on Thursday, August 27. In the city of Lake Charles, four casinos are affected. These are the Auberge, the Delta Downs, the Isle of Capri, and the Golden Nugget. These establishments are still closed for the time being and the time of their reopening remains unknown. Another casino complex in the northwest of the state suffered some damage with Laura’s passage.
Significant damage to casino operators
Thursday, August 27, Hurricane Laura caused significant damage in Louisiana, especially among casino operators. Caesars Entertainment Group’s Isle of Capri casino boat broke away from its mooring and rolled down the Calcasieu stream before encountering an interstate highway bridge, the I-10 Bridge. It was a tug that was able to take it back to its starting place. The boat will have to undergo renovations for at least 9 months, as it was severely damaged during its voyage.
The Auberge sees part of its roof destroyed, and the debris has damaged the place where the swimming pool was located. The artificial river and the swimming pool suffered heavy damage.
Businessman Steve Wynn can empathize with this great pain, as his Golden Nugget Lake Charles suffered the same fate. An outdoor stage and swimming pool did not survive the gusts of wind. The same goes for the roof, part of which came off. The problems of the head of the hotel remain aesthetic and not very serious. In view of the damage, the date of the reopening of the complex is still uncertain.
Racino Delta Downs, a racetrack and casino complex, has also seen its roof damaged in the town of Vinton, not far from Lake Charles. The Boyd Gaming group is to repair the roof, as well as the emptying of the practically water-filled casino. For this complex too, the date of reopening remains unknown.
Damage also in the northwest of the state
Northwest Louisiana casinos were not spared by the most severe storm on record in over a century and a half. After calming down, Laura resumed her journey to northwest Louisiana and passed through the Shreveport area. The Sam’s Town casino that was on its way did not escape its destructive force. However, it fared better than the others, especially since it was able to reopen on Friday, August 28.
Hurricane Laura was designated a Category 4 storm. It is therefore the most severe storm the United States has experienced in over a century and a half. An estimate of 10 deaths was made on the assessment of the consequences of the storm.
Among the dead, we find a 14-year-old girl and a 68-year-old man, crushed dead by trees that have collapsed on their home. Friday, August 28, electricity was lacking in 750,000 homes because of gusts of wind going to more than 240 km / h. Also, the 80,000 residents of the town of Lake Charles were deprived of water. It only remains to hope that the losses will be less, both for residents and for the state’s casino operators.