How Louisiana Is Navigating Hurricane Recovery During COVID

Hurricane Laura was one of the strongest storms to hit Louisiana in over 150 years. It was also the first major hurricane to make landfall on U.S. shores during the COVID-19 pandemic. Only 15 years after the devastating blow of Hurricane Rita, these overlapping disasters have left residents of southwest Louisiana in the lurch, forced to navigate complicated bureaucracies and a lack of resources as they attempt to put the pieces back together.

What happens when polling places close because precincts are damaged from the storm? How does virtual school go on while there are widespread internet outages? When can families return safely to their homes? What happens when another storm hits, just weeks later?

This series, published by Southerly, seeks to answer these questions by following residents of southwest Louisiana through the first months of the recovery process.

Stories

December 17, 2020 | Southerly Magazine

‘They’re So Weary’: Louisiana Teachers Recover From Back-to-Back Hurricanes During the Pandemic

Carly Berlin

Displaced students and teachers balancing storm recovery and a mix of in-person and virtual classes need support, but most schools lack funding or capacity for mental health services.

October 21, 2020 | Southerly Magazine, The Current, The Louisiana Illuminator

After Hurricanes, It’s Harder Than Ever for Lake Charles’ Black Residents To Cast a Ballot

Carly Berlin

Tasha Guidry is tired of watching her neighbors decide not to vote, and worried they won’t go to the polls. After Hurricane Rita 15 years ago, voter turnout was down to 13% after many residents were displaced.

How Louisiana Communities Are Navigating Hurricane Recovery During a Pandemic