12 | NWSLTR
Hurricane IDA Devastates Communities By Jack Grzebien
A rescue team responds to Hurricane Ida and helps a woman to safety. (From Catholiccharitiesusa.org, courtesy of Marco Bello, Reuters) Hurricane Ida, the first significant hurricane of the 2021 season, made landfall near Port Fourchon, Louisiana on August 29th. This storm had winds seven miles per hour less than what is needed to make it a category 5 (157 MPH). The last Category 5 hurricane in the United States was Hurricane Michael which damaged the Florida Panhandle. Hurricane Ida was reminiscent of Hurricane Katrina which extremely devastated Louisiana. Ida, which developed in the Caribbean Sea, has taken 82 known lives in the southern states as of September 27, left over a million residents without power, and created damage to numerous homes, vehicles, and public spaces. There are still places in Louisiana that are without power, mainly the more remote Bayou communities. AccuWeather estimates the total damage to all from Ida is around $95 Billion. While the Hurricane greatly affected the Gulf Coast, it also affected more northern states such as New York and New Jersey. These states were hit with heavy winds and rainfall.
The New York City Subway system was flooded and put out of commission due to remnants of Ida pushing north. The flooding from the storm killed “at least 46 people in the region” according to CNN. Prior to the hurricane, FEMA had started to stockpile food and water for those affected in the southern states. According to WhiteHouse. gov President Biden during a press conference said, “FEMA pre-positioned more than 4.3 million meals and more than 3 million liters of water, and other critical resources in the region before it hit.” In the same press conference the President also mentioned that 250 generators were sent down for use after the hurricane hit. The Red Cross has sent its volunteers out to start the recovery efforts. The Red Cross released in a statement saying “the Red Cross has response vehicles circulating through accessible areas to provide meals, water and critical supplies such as comfort kits and cleaning items.”
Not only are they providing materials and shelter, but they are also providing mental health support and other health services to those affected. According to On The Water, a fishing magezine and website, fishing brands AFTCO and Marsh Wear started an online campaign to raise money for fishermen who were affected by the disaster in Louisiana. They raised $41,642 which was all donated to the International Game Fish Association (IGFA) Worldwide Anglers Relief Fund all of which was noted for helping Louisiana fishing guides. The rollout of the aid has been good but not great. Some have complained to the government that they applied for a $500 direct deposit for help and still have yet to receive any of it. The more physical needs with food and water have had better distribution because they are stored in facilities accessible to many. Hopefully these natural disasters lessen and that when they do come to the United States the country stays prepared for the safety of its citizens.
