Terrytown opened to the public on March 6, 1960, a planned subdivision built by developer Paul Kapelow and named for his daughter Terry. Its main streets, Terry Parkway and Carol Sue Avenue, still frame a grid of homes packed about 6,900 residents to the square mile between Gretna, Timberlane, the Belle Chasse Highway and the Orleans Parish line. Wikipedia lists the community's elevation at about three feet below sea level.
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The One-Wall Plumbing Design of 1960
When the first houses were shown to the press in March 1960, one advertised feature was that all of the plumbing ran in a single wall. It was efficient to build and easy to service. It also means that in original homes, rooms that back onto that wall can share one set of pipes, so a failed supply line, drain joint or water heater connection can wet several rooms at once.
Pipes, fittings and fixtures in a house of that age may have been replaced piecemeal over the decades, or not at all. Signs of a hidden leak in that shared wall include warped baseboards on both sides, loose floor tile, a musty cabinet under the sink, or a water bill that creeps up. A provider can use moisture meters and thermal imaging to trace the wet area before opening the wall, which keeps water damage repair smaller.
Below Sea Level, Every Drop Gets Pumped
Ground below sea level cannot drain by gravity. Rain that falls on Terrytown runs into street inlets and canals, and Jefferson Parish pump stations lift it out. The parish says its West Bank stations average about 0.53 inches of rain per hour of capacity. When a storm delivers more than that, water waits on the streets until the pumps catch up.
Hurricane Francine in September 2024 showed how fast that can happen: the National Weather Service reported 6 to 9 inches of rain across the parish, much of it falling in only a couple of hours, enough to push canals over their banks. Homes on a slab with low thresholds are the first to take water in a downpour like that.
When Water Is Already on the Floor
- Turn off the water at the meter or main valve for a plumbing leak; for floodwater, turn off power to affected circuits if you can reach the panel safely.
- Lift electronics, papers and photos off the floor and out of the room.
- Take dated photos and video for your insurer before cleanup starts.
- Avoid household vacuums on standing water; a provider's truck-mounted or portable extractors remove far more.
- Expect drying to take several days, with baseboards pulled and holes drilled or cuts made at the bottom of walls to let the cavity dry.
Professional structural drying is checked with readings each day, and equipment comes out only when framing and slab reach normal moisture levels.
Storm Season Along the Belle Chasse Highway
The West Bank's hurricane record leans toward wind and outage damage. Katrina in 2005 brought mainly wind damage to this side of the river, and during Ida in 2021 the collapse of a transmission tower near Avondale left much of Jefferson Parish without power for days. A torn shingle line or a lifted section of flat roof lets rain into attic insulation, and in a house closed up without air conditioning that moisture spreads to ceilings and walls. Getting the roof covered quickly is the first job after the wind drops.
Humidity Keeps the Clock Running on Mold
Terrytown shares the New Orleans climate: over 60 inches of rain a year and relative humidity that averages in the mid-70s. A wet wall cavity in that air can support mold within days, often first on the back of drywall where it cannot be seen. If an older leak was patched without drying the cavity, or you notice a persistent smell near the plumbing wall, ask a provider to check moisture inside the wall before deciding on mold removal. Fixing the leak and drying the structure are what stop regrowth.
Areas In and Around Terrytown
The same line also serves nearby communities such as:
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does a leak in my Terrytown kitchen show up in the bathroom too?
The original houses were designed with all of the plumbing in one wall. A leak inside it can spread to any room that backs onto that wall. Trace the moisture with a meter before replacing finishes, and have the whole cavity dried, not just the side where the water first appeared.
Terrytown is below sea level. Do I have to carry flood insurance?
Whether a lender requires it depends on the flood zone shown for your address on FEMA's maps. Even where it is optional, low ground that depends on pumps can take on water in a heavy downpour, and standard homeowners policies exclude flood. Policies usually have a waiting period before they take effect, so buy before hurricane season rather than when a storm is forecast.
Is a slab leak something a restoration provider handles?
A plumber finds and repairs the broken pipe under or inside the slab. A restoration provider handles what the water did: extracting water, drying the slab and lower walls, and removing or replacing flooring that cannot be saved. The two often work in sequence, and it helps to document the leak location and the plumber's findings for your insurance claim.