How can one describe the devastation and terror that took place in the summer of 2016? In August, homes, businesses, and families alike were torn apart by the Louisiana Floods. Beforehand, people all throughout Louisiana were on high alert. Destruction and terror reigned high this summer in Louisiana. The Red Cross states that the Louisiana Floods were one of the worst U.S. natural disasters since Hurricane Katrina. The floods started out as lots of rain, and then slowly progressed until people were forced to evacuate their homes to save themselves and their families. The floods caused hundreds of people to evacuate their homes and leave behind all of their belongings. “It’s devastating that Louisiana has places that are under sea level and are always flooding and we haven’t figured out how to do anything about it,” said River Harper ’18. The lucky few that got out before the worst parts of the flood still lost a significant amount of their belongings.

People all across the country, including Delawareans, reached out to help those affected. “Poor people, the Louisiana floods were devastating” commented Amy Bailey, Upper School Math Teacher. People have been sending goods and clothes through many different organizations, including the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). FEMA provides money to the flood victims to help repair homes and replace belongings. They also facilitate rescue organizations through the government. The rescuers were very much needed during the time of the floods.

The Red Cross also stepped in to help. “I think that the heroic response of the Red Cross accurately represents their history of selfless, empathetic and merciful endeavours,” explained Maggie Coons ’19. They organized rescue centers for those in need. People trained by the Red Cross were sent to Louisiana to aid any way that they could. They set up rescue centers, where people who had lost their homes could stay, and went around looking for people who may have been trapped by water. They set up homeless shelters in office buildings, churches, and even fire stations. Hundreds of people were forced to stay in these shelters while waiting for their homes to be repared.   

While these organizations significantly helped, the real heroes of this story are citizens of Louisiana. During the aftermath of the floods, the people of Louisiana flocked to the aid of those in need. People opened their homes and their hearts to those in need and aided them in cleaning out their houses and raising money for to help pay for needed essentials. One particularly moving story involves a family of seven whose home was almost completely destroyed in the floods. The family is made up of four children, of which three were under the age of nine, along with two adults and a cousin. They were forced to evacuate their home at 2 a.m. without any possessions. The only reason they were able to get out was because of one of the eight year olds woke their parents up and asked if they should leave. After they got the call to evacuate from a friend of theirs, they ran up and down the street waking everybody else on their street up in an effort to save them. After they got out of their neighborhood, they and a friend of theirs, who also had a child, drove to a family member’s house that had not been wrecked by the floods. Once they arrived at the house there were seventeen people living there at the same time. Thankfully, this family was not alone. Once word had gotten out about their situation, they had an influx of calls from people asking how they could help. Some of the families friends decided to start a “Gofundme” page for them in an effort to rent an apartment that could fit seven people. They are still recovering months later, but they have been able to return to a normal routine because of the many donations from friends and strangers alike.

Like this family, there are many people in need of help and many in which you can contribute. You can donate clothing and shoes, money, or even your time, every little thing helps. The Louisiana floods devastated so many and left them hurt and wanting. If you would like to help the members of the Wilson Family during this horrible time you can go to Gofundme.com and search Wilson Family Flood Recovery Fund to donate.