A Red Cross emergency response vehicle moves through an area of Louisiana damaged by Hurricane Ida. (American Red Cross photo by Scott Dalton)
Charles Hunter
Hurricane Ida caused extensive damage in Louisiana after it made landfall. The storm knocked over many trees including this one that fell on this house in Raceland, southwest of New Orleans. The Red Cross was on hand to provide assistance to those impacted by the storm. (American Red Cross photo by Charles Hunter).
By Charles Hunter
American Red Cross
Red Cross volunteer Sherri Braxton and I were busy surveying homes for storm damage after Hurricane Ida made its way through Louisiana.
Sherri is from Florida and served as my trainer as I deployed for the first time from Columbia, Missouri as a disaster assessment volunteer. We were a part of 22 two-person teams traveling each day to areas south and east of New Orleans to evaluate the storm damage to the homes there.
Using the latest technology, we inputted data into a special Red Cross program on our smart phones to provide as overview of the extent and location of damage. This gave the Red Cross and other agencies information about what type of short-term and long-term recovery assistance would be needed and where it needed to go.
Most homes had wind damage to shingles, roofs, and walls. In some cases, mobile homes were destroyed or overturned from their foundations. The wind also blew down very large trees that often severely damaged structures.
Some of the worst flooding I saw was in LaPlace, west of New Orleans. Heavy rains caused water to flow out to the canals on the west side of Yorktowne Drive, leaving up to five feet of water in nearby homes.
When I arrived to survey the homes, residents had removed the water-damaged furniture from their homes to the front curbs. This area had no power due to wind damage to utility poles.
The heat, humidity and bad smell of curbside trash now a week after Ida came ashore made it a sad scene, yet I met many compassionate homeowners who were determined to clean up and put their lives back together.
I was encouraged by the many acts of neighbors helping neighbors clean up, find food and share limited generators. Daily, I was humbled by the people impacted by Ida still speaking up to thank me for being there to help.
Looking back over my two-week deployment, I was glad to have contributed in a small way to help with the relief efforts of so many severely affected. I was proud to work with a dedicated and caring team of Red Cross volunteers responding to a call for help.
The work of the Red Cross is to be on scene to provide assistance to those in need.