Destructive hurricanes Laura and Delta made landfall in Southwest Louisiana in late August and early October 2020 respectively. This part of Louisiana was considerably impacted by these storms, experiencing power outages and much damage, flooding, etc. Visitors should continue to monitor the impacts of the hurricane and exercise caution prior to entering affected areas.
Southwest Louisiana is the vibrant "Heel of the Boot" in the southwestern corner of Louisiana. It is a land of contrasts: bountiful culture, amazing food, and colorful annual festivals that get bigger every year; but the Southwest also has a quickly vanishing coastline and equally quick vanishing wetlands environment. It is considered one of the fastest disappearing landscapes on Earth, with some studies showing that it has lost land area in the several of hundreds of square miles. This is a place where sea and land mingle together, and can be seen through the amazing refuges and nature sanctuaries in this area of the state. From the urban center of Lake Charles to the "Louisiana Outback" of Cameron Parish, this unique region has something for all visitors.
Southwest Louisiana is made up of the southwestern most parishes in Louisiana: Calcasieu Parish (Lake Charles and tales of pirates using its waterways), Cameron Parish (Cameron, Holly Beach, and the Louisiana Outback), and Jefferson Davis Parish (Jennings and the birthplace of the Louisiana Oil Industry).
By air, Lake Charles Regional Airport is the only airport in the region with commercial service; daily departures and arrivals are to/from Dallas and Houston.
Interstate 10 is the primary road for west to east access to the region, while Louisiana Highway 82 follows the coast from the Texas state line to Abbeville in South Central Louisiana.