Hurricane Laura: The Crippling Costs of Rebuilding After Disaster

Today was day two for the Aerial Recovery Corp performing Hurricane Laura relief efforts in Cameron Parish, Louisiana. It was incredibly inspiring to witness the power of community coming together in the midst of this level of crisis. 

One church from Texas delivered an entire truckload of needed supplies to us today. We were able to distribute to these families who suffered a crippling 90% devastation of their homes. Check out our footage here. There are approximately five families living in each remaining tiny little house, many of which may not be able to rebuild quickly due to supplies being more than an hour away. 

We were humbled to be able to deliver several items to help them meet their basic needs but also inspired by the strength of the mindset behind these individuals.

One gentleman who literally rode out the storm on his shrimp boat said, “Don’t ever give up. Don’t stop fighting. Wherever you be, keeping going forward. Don’t worry about it, it’s gonna get better. That’s how we were raised and that’s our mindset.” 

He is determined to pick up life right where he left off, simply waiting on electricity and ice in order to get his shrimping boat back out on the water.

The Financial Cost of Disaster

One survivor, a 70-year old woman, was a great reminder of the financial barrier many families face as a result of natural disaster. She flagged us down, shaking and hoping for a reasonably priced referral for roof tarping services. 

She had all the materials and was going to attempt to do the repair herself because the cost to hire contractors was out of reach. Our volunteers were mobilized immediately and were able to get her home tarped before the next huge rain storm hit.

The other half of the crew worked with families who were in a similar situation, unable to afford tree removal services priced at $8500 and $12,500. Without these services, these families would not be able to repair their vehicles or rebuild their homes. Keep in mind that many families live on a fixed income of barely more than $2000 per month. 

We were able to step in and clear out the fallen trees as well as assist with plumbing and water issues; a situation that had previously seemed hopeless. It was really emotional to witness their gratitude and willingness to work alongside us.

These stories are just a few of the thousands of families who simply don’t have access to the funds or resources essential to rebuilding after Hurricane Laura.

You Can Make a Difference

We cannot stress enough how big of an impact one person, one volunteer can make. Whether it’s carrying supplies, handing out food or simply being present for those who feel hopeless. Whatever you have to offer this community it would be received with gratitude and joy.

Urgent donations that we are still in need of are items like:

• Shovels/wheel barrels 
• Canned Food/Rice Meals
• Tarps
• Batteries
• Toiletries
• Cleaning supplies
• Building supplies and tools

Learn more about making supply or monetary donations by visiting https://laura.usastronger.com/.

If you are unable to donate supplies or funds, but would like to help support the recovery efforts, you can sign up to volunteer at https://www.aerialrecoverygroup.com/. 

Together we can accelerate this recovery and help save livelihoods.