As Hurricane Ida approaches Louisiana, forecasters are warning residents to brace themselves for a Category 4 storm that is expected to hit with winds as fast as 140 mph (225 kph).
The hurricane will make landfall on the exact date of when Katrina devastated New Orleans in 2005. While Katrina was just classified at three before making landfall southwest of New Orleans, Ida has been upgraded from 2. She is now expected to make landfall as a potentially catastrophic Category 4.
Leaning on the lessons learned from Katrina, we have begun to mobilize our army of volunteers.
We are preparing our boats for what is expected to be an epic disaster once again hitting south Louisiana.
“We realized that we needed to be in a position where we could help more people. We are not just going to sit here and wait until we get a call,” said Jon Bridgers of the Cajun Navy 2016.
“So, we are just going to get out in public in areas that we know where people need us. And then when we get a call, like Katrina, we’ll be able to go do what we do – help those in need.”
Currently, we are staging equipment and volunteers in Denham Springs, Louisiana, and have a representative in the Parish’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC).
Additionally, thanks to a generous donation made by the Gary Sinise Foundation, we have formed a special swift response team to focus on water search and rescue.
Meanwhile, in Slidell, Louisiana, we have six boat teams ready to spring into action and are currently staging at strategic locations in the area with volunteers and equipment ready to go.
Some of the resources we have available to help us perform our life-saving mission are:
- Multiple Boats
- Airboat
- Side-By-Side UTVs
- Chainsaws
- Command Unit
“We have a lot of resources coming in, and we are gearing up right now to help people when the time comes,” said Bridgers. “Every hour that we get closer to landfall, our concern level just goes up.”
We are also actively collecting donations for its operations. If you would like to donate equipment, supplies, or make a financial donation, you can do so below.
