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Delta Damage: Cameron and Calcasieu parishes

Posted at 2:04 PM, Oct 11, 2020
and last updated 2020-10-11 18:22:54-04

Our crew spent Saturday in Calcaiseu and Cameron parishes, and heard stories of resiliency and neighbors helping neighbors.

In Iowa, power is slowly being restored. Of course, some of the dangers following a storm includes power surges. As we were preparing for this story, we heard a loud pop and next thing you know, the power line was on fire. That happened in several locations on this street. Right now, crews are slowly beginning to restore power in other areas of Southwest Louisiana

Cameron Parish was rocked hard by two hurricanes striking six weeks apart.

"Give us a break and let us clean up from the one. There's another brick in the road. We stumble over, pick ourselves up and we get back to work," says Alrene Franks of Oak Grove.

Franks' family home was ripped off its pillars and totalled during Hurricane Laura. For Delta, they hooked up their trailer and evacuated.

And while some consider moving, her family will continue to call this area home.

"Whether it's another house or a trailer, we don't know. It's home. This is home and it will always be home," she says.

Here's some video from another Iowa family. Lensi White, who filmed the videos, said her family has been living in a camper van after their house, which had not been fully repaired from Hurricane Laura, incurred catastrophic damage during Hurricane Delta.

Flooding in Iowa Credit: @lensimikalwhite/Instagram
Flooding in Iowa II Credit: @lensimikalwhite/Instagram

As of Saturday, Cameron Parish remains under a mandatory evacuation.

In the town of Creole, there is widespread destruction. We're told the majority of this is from Hurricane Laura; now the main difference between Hurricane Laura and Delta is the amount of rain and water Delta packed into this region.

"We had a lot more rain and the water didn't get as high. It still brought a lot of debris and you look around and can see all of this grass we didn't get with Laura."

In Calcasieu Parish, neighbors were helping neighbors. Michael Boyer and his team were serving a hot meal to anyone in need in Lake Charles.

"There are a lot of people in need that have absolutely nothing here. There are no restaurants open, no power on, no gas stations. People need means to eat a hot meal," he says.

Boyer's home and businesses were impacted by both hurricanes, but despite that he sees a greater need.

"My father raised me to take care of other people at whatever cost it takes and make sure other people are taken care of before you," he says.

Throughout Southwest Louisiana, crews are staged in multiple areas, ready to begin the recovery process yet again.