Louisiana Flood Response

Between August 8^th 2016 and August 14^th 2016, Louisiana was pummeled with over 6.9 trillion gallons of rain. The storms caused devastating flooding throughout the region and it is estimated that more than 105,000 families were affected. According to the red cross, this was “the worst [disaster] to hit the United States since superstorm Sandy.” Numerous lives were lost and many of the homes had 8 or more feet of flooding, leaving behind complete destruction. To date residents are continuing to struggle with coping and recovering from the scope of this disaster.

This disaster was particularly devastating in Baton Rouge, where flood water rose in a matter of minutes and the community is still recovery from the devastation of Hurricane Katrina.

IsraAID began its operation on August 29^th 2016.  The main needs at this time were psychosocial support for the homeowners who had lost everything as well as recovery and rebuilding of homes. In particular, dangerous black mold had already begun to grow in many places, and thus, removing it properly was critical in making the homes safe for families to enter. IsraAID deployed a 10-person team comprised of both Israelis and Americans who had backgrounds in construction, rebuilding and PSS interventions.

IsraAID worked in close collaboration with local US partner, Team Rubicon (TR). In coordination with TR, daily work orders were assigned based on a triage system. An assessment team conducted initial evaluations to assess the state of each home and triage the needs. Homes of residents who were disabled, lacked access to resources, and were veterans were prioritized. Following a daily briefing, the team deployed to the homes and completed the work orders.

Although assessments had already been done, the goal was to empower family’s to take control of their recovery process. All homes were assessed in a respectful manner that allowed the homeowners to dictate the process. Much of the work required sorting through destroyed possessions, an emotionally challenging process for many. Therefore, significant time was dedicated to supporting families in this process.

The work was document by filling out work reports at the end of each assignment. Resources were provided for ongoing assistance for those who needed it.

IsraAID completed work orders for 38 homes, reaching approximately 110 individuals. The families assisted spanned a wide range of ages – from infants to 80 years old and included Asian, African American, and Caucasian ethnicities.

The interventions was tremendously successful in helping residents of Baton Rouge begin the long process of reconstruction. The beneficiaries were overwhelmingly satisfied and grateful for our help. Additionally, local partners were incredibly grateful for IsraAID's presence and look forward to continued collaboration in the future. One beneficiary shared that IsraAID's work saved him $10,000 and 6-months of work. Another said, “Yesterday I was crying because I lost everything. Today I’m crying because Jesus sent me angels from Israel to help me.”

Additionally, IsraAID had the opportunity to strengthen the relationship between the organization and the US – particularly this local community. Through connecting with the local Jewish community, as well as the community members IsraAID helped, building bridges between the organization and supporters.

It was incredible effective and efficient to continue the partnership with TR, particularly in terms of logistics coordination in local US communities. The local Jewish communities were tremendously interested in IsraAID's work and in helping to support the work being done. However, it was a bit challenging to coordinate last minute and in the future would be beneficial going forward to be in touch with these communities before deploying a team. Furthermore, it worked very well to have a couple of  individuals who could manage the requests from media and locals who wanted to meet, in order to coordinate and take the burden off the rest of the team. It is also important to note that although the US is a highly developed country, the need for assistance following this kind of disaster is absolutely essential and the presence of IsraAID's skilled team was incredibly impactful.

Following completion of one of the houses, the homeowner Mary wrote to the team, “We had been able to do some of the gutting and cleaning but had just stalled out. Your crew arrived when we had hit the bottom on energy and the ability to continue.  You infused fresh energy, skill and expertise into the cleanup operation and really helped to turn our flooded house back into what can eventually become our repaired and renovated home. And beyond the obvious cleanup, the caring attitude, good humor and kindness displayed by all members of the team made the work day go so quickly.

The fact that team members volunteered (even taking vacation time from work) and travelled from so far away to help flood victims here in Baton Rouge is especially noteworthy.  We are so appreciative for your help... We can now look forward with hope and optimism towards rebuilding a home for our family.”

Another homeowner wrote, “I would like to thank the Team Rubicon/IsraAID for the most outstanding job they did for my family. Their workers were truly a blessing to us. I really don’t have words to express how thankful we are to the team, only God knows, just once again thanks for the marvelous work and may God bless you all.”

Finally, one of the families we worked with had lost nearly all of their possessions during the flood. As we helped the homeowner process what had happened, she explained that she couldn’t care less about the items they had lost. Couches, tables, souvenirs – none of that mattered. What she was devastated by was the loss of her photos. She and her husband had lost their son at age 6 to cancer, and the only photos they had of him were destroyed in the flood. As we provided support through this grieving process, she ended by telling us that she carried the photos in her heart, and that would be enough. Her gratitude for our help was overwhelming.