US skyscraper damaged by hurricanes in 2020 imploded

An abandoned 22-storey building in Lake Charles, Louisiana - once an icon in the city that became a symbol of destruction from hurricanes Laura and Delta - has been imploded after sitting vacant for nearly four years.

The Hertz Tower crashed down in a matter of seconds after a demolition crew set off a series of explosions inside.

The tower fell in a large cloud of dust into a pile about five stories high.

The building, formerly known as the Capital One Tower, had been a dominant feature of the city's skyline for more than four decades.

However, after a series of hurricanes ripped through southwest Louisiana in 2020, the building became an eyesore, its windows shattered and covered in shredded tarps.

For years the owners of the building, the Los Angeles-based real estate firm Hertz Investment Group, promised to repair the structure once they settled with their insurance provider Zurich in court, The Advocate reported.

The estimated cost of bringing the building back up to code was $US167 million ($A250 million).

Eventually, the two parties settled for an undisclosed amount.

The demolition was funded by $US7 million in private money secured by the city.

Hertz still owns the property and the future of the site is undetermined, according to the city.

Lake Charles Mayor Nic Hunter described the implosion of the building as "bittersweet."

"I know how hard the city tried to work with several development groups to see it saved, but ultimately ... it proved to be too tall a task," Hunter said before the implosion.

He was in office during the hurricanes.

"At this juncture, I am ready for a resolution. It's been four years. It's been long enough."

Lake Charles is home to about 80,000 residents.

While the city is known for its copious amounts of festivals, bayous, casinos and its Cajun flair, it also has been labelled by the Weather Channel as the country's "most-weather battered city".