Buras, Louisiana

Buras is a census-designated place in Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana, United States. Its population was 945 at the 2010 census, and 1,109 in 2020. Prior to the 2010 census, Buras was considered to be part of the Buras-Triumph CDP.

History

Hurricane Katrina made its official landfall in Louisiana in Buras in Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana on August 29, 2005. Buras experienced the full force of the storm, with catastrophic winds and storm surge leading to extensive damage. This area marked the first point of impact for one of the most devastating hurricanes in U.S. history.
In November 2006, Jeré Longman of The New York Times wrote that "almost no evidence of recovery exist" in the post-Hurricane Katrina period. In December 2007, Longman reported that there was still "little sign of recovery" in Buras. The town was founded in the 1840s; 20 years later, it was the site of Civil War battles at Forts Jackson and St. Philip. Today, the Buras area is known for hauling in much of the state's oysters.

Demographics

Buras first appeared in the 2010 U.S. census formed along with the Triumph CDP from the deleted Buras-Triumph CDP.

Race / Ethnicity	Pop 2010		% 2010
White alone	564	471	59.68%	42.47%
Black or African American alone	63	118	6.67%	10.64%
Native American or Alaska Native alone	19	16	2.01%	1.44%
Asian alone	210	344	22.22%	31.02%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone	0	0	0.00%	0.00%
Other race alone	5	18	0.53%	1.62%
Mixed race or Multiracial	53	82	5.61%	7.39%
Hispanic or Latino	31	60	3.28%	5.41%
Total	945	1,109	100.00%	100.00%

Buras was split off from the Buras-Triumph CDP prior to the 2010 U.S. census. In the pre-Katrina period Buras had about 30-40 Cambodian shrimpers, presenting the area's large Asian American population. In the post-Hurricane period Brenda Kap, quoted in The New York Times, stated most of them had returned. At the 2020 United States census, its Asian population was 344, making them the second-largest racial and ethnic group in the CDP; non-Hispanic and Latino whites made up 471 persons total, and Black and African Americans were the third largest group.

Government

The United States Postal Service operates a post office.

Education

Plaquemines Parish School Board operates the public schools of the parish.
It is served by South Plaquemines High School in Empire, next to the Buras CDP, and with a Buras postal address.
Prior to 2005, Buras Middle School and Buras High School served the community, but Hurricane Katrina damaged the buildings. In the immediate post-Katrina period no new campuses opened in Buras, leading some residents to feel that the community may further erode. The permanent school building of South Plaquemines High was established on the site of the former Buras Middle School, while faculty residences were placed on the property of the former Buras High School.
Plaquemines Parish is in the service area of Nunez Community College.
The Plaquemines Parish Library maintains the Buras Branch.