Hurricane Ida Gallery
The pictures in this gallery are from the 2 weeks following Hurricane Ida. Angie, her mom and I stayed at home through Hurricane Ida. Luckily she has a 100+ year old house that is as solidly built as possible, and the house still shook and “breathed” throughout the storm. First let’s clear up the most common and damaging misconception perpetrated by the state and federal governments, and of course the insurance companies. This was a Cat 5 storm, not a Cat 4, with sustained winds of over 190+ mph, and gusts at 220+ mph, as measured by the professional meteorological equipment on the boats up and down the bayou and in Port Fourchon. The storm was powerful enough, and sat on top of us long enough that the 100’+ crew boat parked in front of our house pulled up it’s pilings and went sailing up Bayou Lafourche until it lodged across the bayou. There’s a picture of it lodged in the gallery. Why would the government and insurance companies want it ruled as a Cat 4? Simply because when it gets ruled as a Cat 5 insurers do not have to pay the deductibles on their policies, and quite often those deductibles are $10,000. I could go on and on about how the government and insurance companies to this day are doing everything they can to keep the bayou from healing and repairing.
I didn’t make this gallery because I thought people would want to buy prints. I made it for people to see the destruction, and the resiliency of these Cajuns. In the spirit of that though I am going to donate 100% of the profits from any sales in this gallery to Bless Your Heart Nonprofit Corp. which is a non profit here on the bayou that helps people. After hurricanes there is a great amount of help that is needed. When we have no power for months, no water for weeks, no fuel for weeks to months, these non profits here on the bayou are what keep us alive, and allow us to begin cleaning up and healing. The big non profits like the Red Cross, and others, go where there name can be seen, they go to New Orleans and Baton Rouge, but ignore us. Am I bitter? You bet your sweet patootie I am. New Orleans barely got touched compared to us, but they got all the awareness, they got power, they didn’t lose water. We were neandertals trying to survive from day to day, trying to keep our elderly, our infants, our ill alive. No way to call and ask for help.
Thank You
I do want to say thank you to so many though. Law Enforcement, Fire, EMS all the first responders from around the country that came to assist here down the bayou. To the MPs (Military Police) from an old school 95B MP thank you my brothers and sisters. Of the troops, for the troops! And now for the bayou! These men and women patrolled up and down the bayou with their lights on to head of any problems, because we couldn’t call for help. Thank you for passing out supplies. Thank you for being there for us.
