Restoring Power

By Aaron Schaubhut Podcast Editor Hurricane Ida is already considered one of the most damaging storms of all time, destroying structures and leaving millions without power. While residents looked to pick up the pieces, linemen came from all over the country to help restore the power needed to rebuild. And while many came from far away, some, like Drake Badeaux, Entergy worker and Des Allemands native, went to work even while his community was severely damaged. “My house lost its roof just like everyone else in the neighborhood,” Badeaux says. “It was weird to work so hard to help other people then to come home and have to work on my own house.” Des Allemands was one of the last towns to expect power after the storm, according to Entergy. Some neighborhoods were not expected to have power back until late September, almost a month after the storm’s Aug. 29 landfall. And while many desperately need power, Badeaux says returning electricity after a storm could be a dangerous process. “There’s so much damage to certain areas after a storm that it’s dangerous to just go in and start fixing things,” he says. “A lot of debris and a lot of trees. It was difficult to get into areas we needed to get to because of all the damage. Proper safety precautions needed to be in place.” Despite being a native to one of the hardest-hit towns in Louisiana, Badeaux was not sent to work anywhere in Des Allemands. The damages he discusses mostly come from Lafourche Parish; another area devastated by the storm. Badeaux expresses his overall concern for friends and family during recovery. “I tried my best to keep my parents updated on electricity, but there was very little I could do to help them at the time.” Badeaux’s stepfather and senior Entergy lineman, Timothy Dufrene expresses similar testimony after the storm takes the entire home he has lived in for decades. Dufrene is no stranger to the catastrophic aftermath of a hurricane. In 2006, he assisted in returning power to the New Orleans area after Hurricane Katrina. “I’ve been seeing the damage storms can do for years and it still feels unreal. I lost my entire home in one night.” The two explain that the efforts to return power to Southern Louisiana may have gotten off to a rough start. However, cleaning efforts have helped. Badeaux explains that restoring power to neighborhoods in need began running more smoothly once things were cleared. “A lot of the poles were destroyed and needed to be replaced. Just like everything else after the storm, there was a lot of damage,” he says. Badeaux urges the people of Louisiana to remain patient and optimistic about the future. He explains that although there was a lot of damage done to the area, “Things are getting better and will continue to get better.” Entergy’s last outage map update shows that most outages are repaired. Linemen continue to work in St. James, Lafourche, and St. Charles parishes to restore power everywhere. Bayou Gauche Camps in St. Charles parish are the last areas estimated to regain power on Dec. 31. “I’ve been seeing the damage storms can do for years and it still feels unreal. I lost my entire home in one night.” – Timothy Dufrene, Senior Entergy Lineman The two explain that the efforts to return power to Southern Louisiana may have gotten off to a rough start. However, cleaning efforts have helped. Badeaux explains that restoring power to neighborhoods in need began running more smoothly once things were cleared. “A lot of the poles were destroyed and needed to be replaced. Just like everything else after the storm, there was a lot of damage,” he says. Badeaux urges the people of Louisiana to remain patient and optimistic about the future. He explains that although there was a lot of damage done to the area, “Things are getting better and will continue to get better.” Entergy’s last outage map update shows that most outages are repaired. Linemen continue to work in St. James, Lafourche, and St. Charles parishes to restore power everywhere. Bayou Gauche Camps in St. Charles parish are the last areas estimated to regain power on Dec. 31. Entergy linemen working to restore power to Terrebonne Parish. on Sept. 9, 2021. Photo credit: Drake Badeaux. Entergy linemen from the Raceland office after restoring power to parts of Terrebonne parish.

Donations & Help

By Mikaela Chiasson-Knight Managing editor Even in times of devastation, the locals of Louisiana’s bayou region are vigilant about giving back to their communities. As soon as Hurricane Ida ripped through the area, people from all areas began helping those in need. “Even though so many people were struggling after the storm passed, it was awesome to see how many people were willing to step up and give back,” says Ben Bufkin, senior pastor at Living Word Church in Schriever. “The day after the storm, we were receiving messages from people asking how they could help.” Most people suffered loss themselves but were quick to give back to their neighbors. Houma local Diya Miller was one of the people who gave back even when she herself had lost. “It’s much easier to help others than to help myself,” she says. “I had lost my job the week prior, so I had free time. I’d call it a ‘hunting and gathering’ day. I’d bring home what myself and neighbors needed and deliver the rest.” “It’s much easier to help others than to help myself. I’d call it a ‘hunting and gathering’ day. I’d bring home what myself and neighbors needed and deliver the rest.” – Diya Miller Houma resident While local residents and businesses have given back to the community and provided people with essential needs, Louisiana has also received assistance from out-of-state and national organizations like Convoy of Hope. Convoy of Hope is an international non-profit organization “on a mission to feed the hungry and bring help and hope to communities that need it most,” according to their website. This organization reports supplying 3.5 million pounds of essential items to Louisiana after Ida. Some people, like Tondra and Emily Avet, even worked with donation drives when they personally lost their home in Chauvin. Though their family home is totaled, the mother-daughter duo did not hesitate to put neighbors first. For weeks now, Ward’s Club Citizen’s Club in Chauvin has transformed into a hub for all sorts of donations. Terrebonne Parish Councilman, Dirk Guidry, said in a press conference that Ward 7 has seen hundreds of cars daily since Sept. 3. Emily Avet, 18, has worked tirelessly at Ward 7 to provide her neighbors-in-need with essential items, while collecting items she and her family need as well. “It was crazy to see how many other states donated to us,” she says. “They gave us so much stuff from tissues, toilet paper, and napkins to feminine products, soaps and baby necessities and so many canned goods.” Many other groups, like Living Word Church, have been organizing donations as well. Bufkin, senior pastor, and his family stayed in the church while Ida made landfall and began arranging donations right after the storm passed. “We were blessed to have other state organizations sending us supplies,” he says. “I believe our numbers were around fifteen semi-trucks full of supplies. We had cooking teams out here every day serving hundreds of people.” Living Word Church member Manny Vera hosted a free-haircut event on multiple occasions after the storm since most salons were damaged, closed or had limited hours. Manny gave free haircuts to around 50 people. “I just asked myself ‘What can I do? How can I help?’” he says. “I love to cut hair and share the love of Christ, so we made it happen.” Miller had the chance to work with lots of locals and organizations like: The United Houma Nation, Church of Christ, even Youngsville musician David Cook. She was able to provide necessities for so many members of the community. “I truly believe in Karma and that’s the reason I had what I needed,” she says. “Including an excess of fuel, I could share with others.” PODCAST A campaign by the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office to distribute supplies after Hurricane Ida. GardeVoirCi:Hurricane Ida · Season 5, Episode 8 – Operation Milkman with Major Renee Brinkley-Scott & Major Cortrell Davis