Audra and Katrina Augusta look on as a Samaritan’s Purse team begins to remove a tree that fell across both of their houses.

Relief After the Storm

Samaritan’s Purse is helping people affected by Hurricane Gustav in Louisiana while preparing to respond to Ike

Audra Augusta has been through a lot of storms in her lifetime, but she never had experienced anything like Hurricane Gustav.

“There was a whole lot of wind,” she said. “It was wind like I’ve never heard in my life.”

Audra, 60, lives next to her daughter, Katrina. When the storm roared through their neighborhood in Donaldsonville, Louisiana, the two families took shelter together. The next several minutes were terrifying as winds of up to 90 mph shook the house and toppled trees.

“We heard a tree hit the house,” said Katrina, 44. “There was so much noise.”

Hurricane Gustav slammed the Louisiana coast as a powerful Category 2 storm on Monday. It hit with sustained winds of 60 mph and gusts up to 91 mph. Donaldsonville was on the eastern edge of the eye wall and sustained heavy damage. Trees and power lines were felled throughout the town. Most homes are without electricity, and power isn’t expected to be restored for at least four weeks.

“There’s a lot of debris everywhere,” Katrina said.

Audra and Katrina’s home received heavy blows. Gustav’s winds downed an oak tree in the front yard that landed on Katrina’s roof. A limb broke off the tree and landed on Audra’s carport. A huge pecan tree was knocked over out back. Falling limbs knocked holes in both roofs.

When the storm passed by and the families surveyed the damage, the situation appeared hopeless.

“This is a big, big job,” Audra said. “My husband has cerebral palsy. He didn’t know what we were going to do.”

Samaritan's Purse responded to the storm by sending two Disaster Relief Units to Louisiana. One headed to Baton Rouge, and the other to Donaldsonville. Audra and Katrina were among the first people we helped. A work crew removed the downed trees and patched their roof with heavy-duty blue plastic to prevent further rain damage.

“I didn’t know how I was going to get the tree off the house,” Katrina said. “It means so much. It shows that some people do care.”

After completing the work, the team prayed with the families and presented them with a Bible.

“I just thank God for what’s going on here,” Audra said. “I thank God for the heart of these people, for these compassionate people. Samaritan's Purse will always be in my prayers.”

Our staff and volunteers are continuing to bring comfort and hope to people like Audra and Katrina in Baton Rouge and Donaldsonville. We have helped over 150 families by removing trees knocked down by the storm’s powerful winds, and making emergency repairs to houses.

We also are preparing for Hurricane Ike, which began to lash the Texas coast with high winds and torrential rains on Friday. Two Disaster Relief Units are stationed in Baton Rouge so we can quickly respond in the aftermath of the storm, and a third is being deployed.

There are still many needs in Donaldsonville, and Samaritan's Purse will continue our work there even as we respond to Ike.

WAYS YOU CAN HELP

PRAY:

Thank God that the storm diminished as it approached land. Please pray that people affected by the storm will see God’s care and concern as we work, and that many of them will find comfort in the love of Jesus Christ. Please pray for people who are evacuating as Ike approaches land.

GIVE:

To support the ministry of Samaritan's Purse to the hurricane victims, please visit our donation page.

GET INVOLVED:

If your Christian group is interested in volunteering with our U.S. Disaster Relief Teams, please start by reading the information and filling out the questionnaire on our U.S. Disaster Relief page.

Samaritan's Purse , United States , DR Extranet , U.S. Disaster Relief , Relief After the Storm