Video captured the moments the Capital One Tower in Lake Charles, Louisiana, was demolished on Saturday. The building was 22 stories tall and the largest skyscraper in the region but was largely empty following the impacts of Hurricane Laura in 2020.
LAKE CHARLES, La. – A 22-story skyscraper that stood over southwest Louisiana for four years after being damaged during Hurricane Laura finally came down Saturday with the help of controlled explosives.
The Capital One Tower in downtown Lake Charles had been largely vacant since sustaining severe damage from Hurricane Laura, a Category 4 storm.
For years, there was ongoing debate about the building’s future, but ultimately, the property owner chose to have it taken down versus embark on a costly repair project.
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Less than 20 seconds after detonation, the once-towering structure was reduced to a tangled wreckage along the banks of Lake Charles.
TOP 5 COSTLIEST HURRICANES IN US HISTORY
Hurricane Laura Track
(FOX Weather)
“We cannot allow these buildings to sit untouched indefinitely,” Lake Charles Mayor Nic Hunter previously stated in a post-recovery address. “The problem will fester. Unaddressed, this issue will lower property values, increase blight, and affect our neighborhoods negatively all around. We must have a heart and open ear to those still facing challenges, but we must also have a heart and open ear to those neighbors who are living next door to these derelict structures.”
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The skyscraper had been a landmark for drivers traveling along Interstate 10 since its opening in 1983.
Following the demolition and cleanup, there remains considerable uncertainty about what will be developed on the site.
Lake Charles and the surrounding parishes were among the hardest hit areas by Hurricane Laura, which caused damage estimated to exceed $23 billion.
NOAA reports more than 40 people were killed in the U.S. following the cyclone’s trek through the Gulf Coast and into the Mississippi Valley,
About six weeks after Laura, parts of the same region were impacted by Hurricane Delta, a Category 2 cyclone.
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LAKE CHARLES, LOUISIANA – AUGUST 27: Capital One Tower is seen with its windows blown out in the downtown area after Hurricane Laura passed through on August 27, 2020 in Lake Charles, Louisiana. The hurricane hit with powerful winds causing extensive damage to the city. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
LAKE CHARLES, LOUISIANA – AUGUST 27: An escalator is seen in Capital One Tower that had its windows blown out in the downtown area after Hurricane Laura passed through on August 27, 2020 in Lake Charles, Louisiana . The hurricane hit with powerful winds causing extensive damage to the city. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
The Capital One Tower office building previously boarded up from Hurricane Laura, stands after Hurricane Delta made landfall in Lake Charles, Louisiana, U.S., on Saturday, Oct. 10, 2020. Delta weakened to a tropical depression as it moved inland over northeastern Louisiana, knocking out power lines and drenching an area still recovering from the onslaught of Hurricane Laura. (Luke Sharrett/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
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LAKE CHARLES, LOUISIANA – AUGUST 27: A person is seen walking through Capital One Tower with its windows blown out in the downtown area after Hurricane Laura passed through on August 27, 2020 in Lake Charles, Louisiana . The hurricane hit with powerful winds causing extensive damage to the city. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
An eyesore that stood over southwest Louisiana for four years finally came down Saturday with the help of controlled explosives after being damaged during Hurricane Laura. (KPLC)
HAS THERE EVER BEEN A SEPTEMBER WITHOUT A TROPICAL STORM?
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The Gulf Coast was particularly hard hit during the record-breaking 2020 season.
Between April and December, 30 named storms formed, which included 14 hurricanes, and 7 major cyclones with winds of at least 115 mph.
At the time, damage for the 2020 hurricane season was estimated to be around $50 billion, ranking it among the top five costliest seasons in the U.S.
Since then, seasons in 2021 and 2022 have surpassed 2020 in terms of their financial impact, pushing the historic year down in the rankings.
Despite this, the 2020 season remains within the top 10 costliest hurricane seasons of all time.
(KMDL-FM) You might not have realized it, but you’re on a roller coaster. No, not the kind of roller coaster you look forward to riding, but the kind of roller coaster only Mother Nature can devise in the form of Louisiana’s annual up and down weather conditions, also known as spring.
READ MORE: Louisiana Parishes That Have the Most Tornadoes
Much of Louisiana was affected by strong storms with heavy rains and gusty winds during the day on Saturday and extending into Sunday morning. By later afternoon yesterday, conditions had improved, and it looked as though the work and school week would be off to a much calmer start.
Heavy Rain Possible in Louisiana To Start the Work Week
The start of the work and school day will be much calmer; however, the ride home on this first day of “extra sunlight” thanks to Daylight Saving Time will include a decent chance of showers and storms. Oh, and there are already reports of thick fog.
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So, after a foggy start this morning, you could be picking up kids from school or driving yourself home from work in a torrential downpour. And you’ll get to do all of this while you’re mentally addled from the twice-a-year time change.
Rain chances are listed at 50% for this afternoon, but they do taper off quickly after the sun goes down. The Weather Prediction Center is forecasting a slight risk of an excessive rain event for portions of Louisiana later today. The area of concern is generally along and well north of US 190.
When Is The Next Threat of Severe Storms in Louisiana?
Tuesday should be a cloudy but breezy and warm day. Then on Wednesday, the rain chances and the next threat of severe storms will move into Louisiana.
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The Storm Prediction Center outlook for Wednesday’s severe weather potential suggests that the northern and central sections of the state might be more at risk for stronger storms than the I-10 corridor might be.
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READ MORE: Who Is Appearing at Patty in the Parc in Lafayette?
We will know more about that potential later this morning when the SPC updates its forecast. The outlook for the remainder of the week, including the Patty in the Parc Weekend event in Downtown Lafayette, looks to be spectacular.
RICHLAND — Tech companies could receive significant tax breaks in Louisiana as data centers break ground in the state.
According to a report by The Advocate, Meta officials told state officials in 2024 that they would need significant tax breaks while negotiating the $27 billion data center project currently being built in North Louisiana.
Based on projections of Louisiana’s tax exemptions and the expected expenditures of the companies, state and local governments could potentially give billions in tax breaks to the tech giants.
Several states, including Louisiana, have seen backlash to data centers as residents worry about potential rising electric costs and strain on water systems.
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Virginia is currently debating whether or not to repeal tax exemptions for the tech companies, as it has cost state and local governments in Virginia $1.9 billion in 2024 alone.
The tax break exempts data centers from state and local taxes for multiple things data centers require, including servers, chillers, electric infrastructure and construction costs.
The scale of the data center projects, which include tens of billions in spending, coupled with Louisiana’s sales tax of 10%, means tax breaks could be worth huge amounts.
Gov. Jeff Landry speaks at an event Monday, Feb. 23, 2026, at Shreveport Municipal Auditorium in Shreveport, La., held to announce that Amazon plans to build data centers in Caddo and Bossier Parishes. He is joined by Roger Wehner, left, vice president of Economic Development for Amazon, and Matt Vanderzanden, CEO of STACK Infrastructure.
