Lake Charles has made significant strides in recovering from Hurricane Laura over the past two years. Mayor Nic Hunter said there is still much work to be done.

Some may remember the mayor’s efforts to call attention to the city’s plight, appearing on CNN, Fox News and NPR.

“We’re going to do our part,” he said to a national audience, after the area experienced Hurricane Laura and then six weeks later, Hurricane Delta. “We’re not just sitting on our butts with hands out.”

Hurricane Laura made landfall in Cameron Parish at 1 a.m. on August 27, 2020. Winds were recorded to be as strong as 150 miles per hour. After landfall, sustained winds of 100 mph wreaked catastrophic destruction as far north as Fort Polk and reached outward as far as 175 miles causing billions of dollars in damage.

“We are certainly farther along than we were at this time last year,” Hunter said. “Businesses have reopened, and in many cases, re-invested in their properties with upgrades post storm. Our major employers are back online and many even report being back to re-pandemic levels of staffing. Schools have reopened and many people have returned home. However, many continue to struggle through insurance claims and related mediation, which is impeding their long-term recovery.”

The delay in securing supplemental disaster aid from the federal government has been Hunter’s most significant disappointment during the last two years.

In response to those
delays – the Lake Charles community waited longer than any other community in American history to receive supplemental disaster aid – Hunter pushed, traveling to Washington DC.

“This was a team effort,” he said. “Many joined me in my endeavors to advocate and plead for assistance. We needed Washington to understand the true level of devastation here, and I am grateful for the support of community and industry leaders and our Congressional delegation.”

Hunter said supplemental disaster aid will “finally hit the streets by the end of this year.”

“This will be an absolute game changer for residents who are still struggling to restore properties and businesses that were not only gravely impacted by the natural disasters but also by the pandemic,” he said.

As Washington drug its feet, Hunter found inspiration at home in people of “caliber, grit and tenacity.”

“The sheer determination and love of the people here is inspiring,” he said. “Our people are our greatest asset and that has never been more apparent than during these past two years.”

Low- to moderate-income residents impacted by Hurricane Laura and Delta or the May 2021 flood who owned and occupied their home at the time of the disaster, received major/severe damage determination by FEMA and have the greatest unmet needs may find helpful grant assistance information at restore.la.gov.