Last Island (Louisiana)
Last Island (Official name: Isle Dernière, often misspelled as Îsle Dernière, Isle Dernier, L'Îsle Dernière, Île Dernière, etc.) was a barrier island and location of a pleasure resort southwest of New Orleans on the Gulf Coast of Louisiana, United States. Located south of Dulac, Louisiana, between Lake Pelto, Caillou Bay, and the Gulf of Mexico, it was named Last Island because it was the last of a series of barrier islands which stretched westward from the mouth of the Mississippi River, 90 miles to the east.
Last Island
Isle Dernière | |
|---|---|
Last Island in 1853 | |
Remaining portions of Last Island | |
Last Island Location of Last Island in Louisiana | |
| Coordinates: 29°02′19″N 90°48′15″W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Louisiana |
| Parish | Terrebonne |
| Area | |
| • Total | 42 sq mi (110 km2) |
| • Land | 3.625 sq mi (9.39 km2) |
| • Water | 38.375 sq mi (99.39 km2) |
| Elevation | 5 ft (2 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
The island was destroyed by the Last Island Hurricane of August 10, 1856, which split it in two. Afterwards, it became known in the plural Isles Dernières ("Last Islands").
The island was originally approximately 25 miles in length before being split in half by the storm. Subsequent tropical storms did more damage, and Isle Dernière was further fragmented into smaller islands. Now the Isles Dernieres Barrier Island Refuge, since the 1990s there have been a number of different projects aimed at rebuilding and protecting the islands, including in 1998, when sand was suctioned up to raise the level of the islands, and plantings were made to keep the new land in place.
The closest village to the islands is Cocodrie, about 15 miles to the northeast.