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A hurricane-damaged Louisiana skyscraper is imploded

Building Implosion Louisiana
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BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — An abandoned 22-story building in Louisiana that became a symbol of the destruction inflicted by back-to-back hurricanes in 2020 has been imploded.

The once gleaming building in Lake Charles came down Saturday after the demolition crew set off a series of explosions inside.

Watch the video below to see the building come down:

A hurricane-damaged Louisiana skyscraper is imploded

Formerly known as the Capital One Tower, the structure had been a dominant feature of the city skyline for decades.

Building Implosion Louisiana
The Hertz Tower, that was heavily damaged after Hurricanes Laura and Delta in 2020, is imploded in Lake Charles, La., Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

But after powerful hurricanes Laura and Delta ripped through southwest Louisiana in 2020, the building became an eyesore of shattered windows and shredded tarps.

While Lake Charles is rebuilding from the storms, there are still buildings in disarray and residents living in the same conditions as four years ago.

Building Implosion Louisiana
Tuff Gary, left, and Morgan LeBlanc with their children Hudson, Tuff, Jr., and Zander, of Jenning, La., watch the implosion of the Hertz Tower, that was heavily damaged after Hurricanes Laura and Delta in 2020, in Lake Charles, La., Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)