The worst natural disaster since Superstorm Sandy has decimated parts of Louisiana, killing 13 people and destroying more than 100,000 homes. Assisting in the recovery efforts are dozens of people from the Philadelphia area.
NBC10.com's Sara Smith has traveled to Baton Rouge and will share stories of pain, loss and hope among residents and the aid teams helping them rebuild their lives.
Sara is no stranger to disaster recovery. She spent five years working for the American Red Cross of Southeastern Pennsylvania. Her experience will give you a unique view at how recovery efforts take place following a natural disaster.
Follow Sara's dispatches from Louisiana here and on Facebook and Twitter.
Saturday, August 27
It was amazing to spend the day with Samaritan's Purse Friday. The team of 14 worked hard ripping our flooring, walls, insulation and more despite the unbearable conditions. The Kim home in Lafayette had power, but no air conditioning. Working beside the crew were Mr. And Mrs. Kim, a Korean couple
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Saturday is my last day on the ground in Baton Rouge and I have plans to meet up with more local volunteers who have come down from the Philadelphia area who are working with the Red Cross.
Friday, August 26
Thursday, in Baton Rouge, was eye-opening.
It's difficult to understand the scope of what's happening in Louisiana until you really get into the neighborhoods. The houses are well-kept and nice. The lawns are neatly manicured. Everything looks perfectly normal -- aside from the piles and piles and piles of debris at each and every driveway end.
In my time with the Red Cross, I worked many types of disaster, but never was sent to work a flood. With tornadoes, the damage is clearly evident. Either the home is leveled, or damaged in some way. Homes hit by tornadoes or hurricanes show the scars of the damage on the outside.
Homes battered by flooding hide their wounds. The water damages them from the inside out. Here in Baton Rouge, many residents have power washed away any and all marks on the outside of their homes and it's not until you step inside that you see the shell that remains.
There's the McClarty family, who couldn't be more sweet. I was lucky to spend the day with them hearing their story. Wagner, the mom, broke out with an allergic reaction after the first day of cleaning out her damaged home. Now, it's mostly up to husband Richard to do the work. Wagner has to try to stay away, but on this day, she brought their son Eddie to help carry clothing and some other salvageable items to the car.
Richard told me that he carried his son through the flood waters, even though it's evident this middle schooler could hold his own. Richard explained there are alligators and snakes in this part of the country and he didn't want his son in the water. Eddie told me his dad ended up with a snake in his boot after the trek.
Eddie joked using the "Toy Story" quote: "There's a snake in my boot."
Wagner said the snakes were everywhere. Richard told me that his parents waited for hours, floating in a boat he tied up at their home, as a precaution before the water rose. His parents live a few miles away. The whole family has an amazing attitude and resolve to make a new normal of their lives. It's something that has struck me not just on this disaster, but on the many I've worked.
Today, I'm headed further west into Lafayette. A whole other operation is going on in that area, also as part of this deadly flooding response. I will spend the day with a group from the Philadelphia area who drove down to volunteer with Samaritan's Purse. It is a faith-based group that, according to its website, "provides spiritual and physical aid to hurting people around the world." The organization has volunteers in Baton Rouge and Lafayette cleaning out homes and helping in the rebuilding process.
Thursday, August 25
Today, I take you into the flood zone. I'll be going along with Team Rubicon, a volunteer organization made up of veterans and first responders who go into disaster areas and provide much-needed clean-up. In Baton Rouge, Team Rubicon is mucking out houses in nearly 100 degree heat every day, all day. It's a never-ending job. Team members go into houses that have been damaged by flood water and remove all of the damaged furniture, carpet, drywall and anything else that needs to go.
You may have seen piles of stuff along the roadway during President Obama's visit to the area. A lot of those piles are being made by volunteers with Team Rubicon.[[391325471,C]]
While following Team Rubicon, I met the McClarty family who lost about 75% of their belongings:[[391331871,C]]
Watch for more later here and on the NBC10 Facebook page.
Wednesday, August 24
Full disclosure: I'm no stranger to disaster response. I spent nearly five years working as an employee for the American Red Cross. In my time as a communications specialist, I was sent to a few disasters outside of the local area, including New York and New Jersey for Superstorm Sandy and Mississippi and Arkansas for a massive tornado outbreak. So, when I was asked to go to Baton Rouge in the midst of a disaster no one seems to be talking about, there was no way I would say no. I drove in to Baton Rouge from New Orleans this morning, and it was odd, because if you didn't know there was a flood a few miles away, you wouldn't know there was a flood a few miles away. Traffic was light, businesses are open, people are doing their normal things. Thing is, there is... And it's a big one - so I'm told and so the pictures show. I, personally, haven't seen the flooding, but stick with me, I will get there.
What I have seen is the massive gathering of resources. The headquarters of the Red Cross operation in Baton Rouge is buzzing with activity, the parking lot of the Home Depot is transformed into a relief center headed by Team Rubicon, and everywhere you turn, there are signs for donation drop offs and help for those affected. Just last night, more than 2300 people spent the night in a Red Cross shelter. I'm told the work is just beginning.
American Red Cross in Louisiana
More than a dozen volunteers from the Red Cross in Eastern PA alone are here helping. They are driving supplies and meals into areas where folks are beginning to clean up. They are sheltering folks who have no where to go, they are counseling families about next steps and how to handle the realization that everything may be gone. Two volunteers from our area are even working hard to make sure the trucks that deliver food and supplies are in tip top shape for the work they must do. Mary Noll from Montgomery County will spend possibly six weeks on the job inspecting and caring for those trucks... All 97 of them that are here right now. She says she misses her family but thinks it's important to be here.
More notes from Baton Rouge to come.
Tuesday, August 23
I'm heading south to cover the Louisiana floods. Flying into New Orleans and then driving up to Baton Rouge. I'll make sure to share updates as I have them.
