My heart is breaking for everyone living in Louisiana who has been affected by the recent flooding. I have to admit, I didn’t quite realize the severity of the situation until I recently read that the Red Cross said it’s “the worst natural disaster in the US since Hurricane Sandy.” From Baton Rouge to surrounding parishes and cities, the flooding has totaled “6,900,000,000,000 gallons of rain in one week.” (via CNN) That’s so many millions of gallons, it’s impossible to wrap your head around that amount of rain water.
Image credit: NPR
According to CNN, Thousands of people in Louisiana have lost everything they own and need our help now. Catastrophic flooding has swallowed swaths of Louisiana in a deluge that the governor calls “unprecedented.” Here are a few of the facts:
- 60,000 Homes damaged
- 6,900,000,000,000 gallons of rain in one week.
- 13 deaths across the state
- 39 inches of rain in one day
- 20,000 people rescued
- 12 parishes declared disaster areas
- 106, 000 households registered with FEMA
Those numbers are mind boggling, aren’t they? It’s pretty incredible how we take things like a safe and happy home, electricity, and basics – like food and water – for granted until something like this affects where we live. And, for those of us who haven’t been affected by the Louisiana state of emergency, we can learn how to help.
Image credit: CNN
According to CNN:
The Salvation Army, which is dealing with flooding at its Baton Rouge facility, is helping thousands of residents who were forced to evacuate their homes.
The organization is assisting with disaster relief resources such as canteens (mobile feeding units), clean up and hygiene kits and sending support personnel to the affected areas. You can volunteer or donate money to the Salvation Army’s Gulf Coast fund to help the cause.
The American Red Cross in Louisiana is providing meals and dozens of shelters for residents needing a safe place to sleep. You can contribute financially to the cause by going here and selecting “Louisiana Floods” from the drop-down menu. You can also text the word LAFLOODS to 90999 to make a $10 donation. If you would like to volunteer, you can fill out an application.
My heart goes out to anyone who has been affected by this flooding. The victims of this natural disaster are in my thoughts and prayers and I can only hope that in some small way, there are small moments of good that come from a community banding together to help one another get through this.
