Catholic Charities: The Lasting Effects of Hurricane Laura

Last summer, we experienced one devastation after another. While the majority, including myself, were recovering from falling ill and experiencing loss of life, others were recovering from the loss of their homes. On August 27, 2020, Hurricane Laura hit Louisiana and was declared a natural disaster for many civil parishes in the Diocese of Shreveport: Caddo, Jackson, Lincoln, Ouachita, and Winn. According to the National Weather Service in Shreveport, Hurricane Laura’s landfall landed with maximum speeds of 150 mph, making it a Category 4 hurricane; the strongest landfalling hurricane in Louisiana on record— and the fifth strongest storm to hit the continental U.S.

The effects of Hurricane Laura can still be felt by North Louisiana residents, from West to East. You may be wondering why this is newsworthy; this is newsworthy because many Hurricane survivors still lack the means to repair and replace their damaged items— nearly a year after the devastation occurred.

A good Samaritan, Shirley Rivers, a parishoner of St. John the Baptist Church in Many, spearheaded efforts—along with the help of Catholic Charities of North Louisiana—in assisting individuals hit hardest in Sabine Parish. From prioritizing the devastation to hiring contractors, Rivers helped from start to finish.

The survivors mainly required simple repairs like the roof; others needed more after living with mold roughly a year before repairs began. Another individual lived a year without air conditioning due to not having the means to purchase a new HVAC unit after a power surge from Hurricane Laura. By stretching the money from Catholic Charities, Rivers saw that their window units were purchased and installed in the single-wide mobile home this past June.

Parishes away, staff at our CCNLA Monroe office cannot start the day with the aroma of fresh brewing coffee—instead, they enter into an intense odor of black mold. Hurricane Laura caused significant damage to their roof, ceilings, and outside structures, which allows the mold to flourish throughout the storm season. We are grateful to have a building to accommodate our staff and growing client base —but we cannot ignore the lingering damage that poses a threat to the wellbeing of our staff and clients.

To be a part of repairing storm damage, please visit www.ccnla.org and select donate now and add Hurricane Laura to the memo. You can also mail checks to 331 East 71st Street Shreveport, LA 71106.