CWPPRA Partners Assist in Hurricane Rescue and Recovery

When Katrina’s victims could not be located because floodwaters swept away New Orleans street signs, a CWPPRA partner transformed addresses of frantic 911 callers into geospatial coordinates and plotted them on maps for rescuers.

Faced with oil spills, burning debris and rotting animal carcasses, CWPPRA partners responded with expertise in containing and disposing of environmental hazards.

When the needs of displaced residents outstripped available resources, CWPPRA partners contributed food, water, housing and other essentials; and collected donations and supplies for school districts affected by the storms.

And in the aftermath of the 2005 hurricane season, the work continues. In addition to addressing environmental conditions in the wetlands, personnel from CWPPRA agencies — many themselves New Orleans residents displaced by the storms — have coordinated cleanup, evaluated health hazards, and worked around the clock to restore normalcy and improve hurricane protection across coastal Louisiana.