Last month, many parts of Southern Louisiana were faced with disastrous flooding that submerged thousands of homes and businesses and also resulted in 13 reported deaths. The flood has been called the worst U.S. natural disaster since Hurricane Sandy in 2012.
Seeing homes where families have spent their entire lives destroyed along with gutted furniture piled on neighborhood sidewalks is truly heartbreaking. While distressing, I do believe that through the strength of the community, Louisiana will continue to rebuild and move forward. I am most proud to see residents working together each day after such a tragedy. Some of the USDA Rural Development (RD) Louisiana staff members have volunteered their time with the American Red Cross at local shelters or have helped clean out their neighbors’ damaged homes. Despite the devastation, these RD staff volunteers have approached this work in a positive and kind-hearted manner.
