Jigger the Swamp Pirate

Jigger Bordelon is one cool dude, a great human being and unique individual. A big guy with a big heart, he cooks at the historic French Market restaurant on lower Decatur Street and is by trade a welder who at one point worked on the levee system. He "rode the bitch out" back in August as his home shook during Katrina's 180 mph plus winds that struck the St. Bernard Parish.

A resilient swamp ace, ("We navigate in our mind.") Jigger had the foresight to tie his boat off his side door, and launched it to rescue neighbors as soon as the winds died down. While doing this, he and his momma survived by living on her rooftop for 10 days and cooking up food on a propane stove. Here's a note he left on his side door for her:



His grandparents built the house back in the day, and as a 7th-generation St. Bernardian, he's lived there his entire life. He also owns another home around the corner and 62 acres out in the swampland of Hopeland, where his trailer was washed 50 yards from it's original location. He's determined to rebuild here in his getaway spot, and will "ride the bitch out" again.



Jigger, thank-you for sharing, it was deep.