Six Flags New Orleans entrance

Six Flags New Orleans operated its final day of rides on August 21, 2005, just over a week before Hurricane Katrina struck Southeast Louisiana on August 29. Because the park sat in a low-lying basin, the storm's massive surge overwhelmed its drainage system, submerging the entire property in 4 to 7 feet of corrosive, brackish water for more than a month. The long-term saltwater immersion destroyed an estimated 80% of the flat rides and buildings, prompting Six Flags to declare the park an "effective total loss" in July 2006. Choosing not to undertake the prohibitive costs of rebuilding, the company permanently closed the park, salvaged a few viable attractions (such as Batman: The Ride), and ultimately terminated its 75-year lease during bankruptcy proceedings in 2009.