PRESS ROOM

Clear Skies Ahead for National Hurricane Museum & Science Center
On October 22, Lake Charles voters overwhelmingly approved a ballot resolution authorizing the City of Lake Charles to allow the National Hurricane Museum & Science Center to move its proposed building site farther down the Lake Charles lakefront. The measure passed with 70.4% of the vote.
“It’s clear skies ahead for now,” said Gray Stream, board chairman of the NHMSC. “Moving forward with our building location secured, now we can focus all our attention on fund raising. The election generated a lot of momentum and favorable conversation about the Center, and this is the time to ask supporters to help us find the money to get it built,” Stream continued.
During the last few months, board members of the museum have made many in-person presentations to Lake Area civic clubs, showing and explaining particulars of what the NHMSC plans for their lakefront home just across Bord du Lac Drive from the Civic Center’s north parking lot. According to Stream, the presentations had the dual purpose of informing the electorate of the ballot issue, and expressing the need for businesses, organizations and individuals to donate to the project. 
In September, the Calcasieu Parish Police Jury awarded the Center $150,000, and the Lake Charles/Southwest Louisiana Convention & Visitors Bureau awarded $100,000 more shortly thereafter. And, according to terms of a Cooperative Endeavor Agreement signed last June with the City of Lake Charles, the City pledged a total of $4.8 million toward site and shoreline improvements, and to construction. This amount includes $800,000 previously granted to the City from Dow Chemical USA.
“Our fundraising goal is $67,000,000, but all of us know most of that will come from outside Lake Charles,” Stream says. “However, those outside ‘investors’—public agencies, the State, corporations, foundations and individuals—won’t put their money here without seeing that people and businesses in Lake Charles are willing to do their fair share. To be sure, this is economic development and an enhanced quality of life for our region. Everyone will benefit from their contributions in the long run.”

New Website and Press Conference Event

The NHMSC has launched this new website, and invited the media to a press conference on July 26th, hosted by the Lake Charles Southwest Louisiana Convention & Visitors Bureau.

At the event, NHMSC Board Chairman Gray Stream said, "the NHMSC has designed a new website so everyone can see the progress we are making. We are also hopeful as we emphasize the importance of Lake Charles citizens voting their approval to move the museum from its present lakefront site a few hundred feet to the south."

YES Vote needed on October 22

The National Hurricane Museum & Science Center hopes all Lake Charles voters will help the museum move its location on the lakefront. A YES vote will to change the City Charter to permit the NHMSC to build on the northwest corner of the Civic Center property, just north of the present PPG fountain. This is not a new tax or any kind of tax renewal. The ballot proposition is asking your permission to move from Tract 2 to Tract 1-D. Here's how the resolution will appear on the ballot...

SHALL THE CITY OF LAKE CHARLES BE ALLOWED TO LEASE CITY OWNED LAKEFRONT PROPERTY IN THE AREA DESIGNATED AS TRACT ONE-D FOR COMMERCIAL USE AS THE NATIONAL HURRICANE MUSEUM AND SCIENCE CENTER AS SET FORTH HEREIN?

Hurricane Audrey Documentary on Documentary Channel!

We are pleased to announce that The Documentary Channel, with a
viewing audience of 25 million people, has picked up Emmy winning
feature doc. All Over But to Cry about Hurricane Audrey in 1957, and
will air the film on the upcoming anniversary of the deadly storm--
June 27th at 8:00pm and again at 11:00pm EST.

Please view / download the press release here  for details and 
spread the word!