As a result of rainfall and a low pressure system, there was a large amount of rainwater that flowed into Baton Rouge and surrounding areas in mid-August, causing unexpected flooding. The rain caused four rivers to rise to unseen levels, including the Amite River, which flows between Baton Rouge and Denham Springs, a neighboring city.

The flooding resulted in the loss and destruction of many homes, which left many residents without a place to go. Because of the aftermath, Baton Rouge and surrounding areas are making a strong effort to recover from the flooding that devastated the area.

In order to help in this effort, New Orleans natives, Ophelia Hunter and her husband, traveled to Baton Rouge to assist the elderly in gutting and cleaning their houses. Realizing that the flooding was “comparable to Katrina,” the Hunters felt an obligation to assist in the process of normalizing life for as many Baton Rouge citizens as they could. Experiencing the flooding in New Orleans, the Hunters knew that the recovery process was not an easy one and wanted to use their resources to contribute whatever they could to ease the process for the people in need. When they first arrived in Baton Rouge, Ophelia Hunter noticed a city that was completely defaced and in desperate need for help. When she and her husband decided to take the trip to the affected areas, they knew that there would be lots of damage, but what they expected was much different than what they expected. When she was asked about what was being done to help normalize the lives of the residents in the affected areas she replied, “Infrastructure and lives of many have been turned upside down by an enormous amount of rain water; therefore, we and others are trying to revive their lives and homes. The city, state, and federal government are doing the necessary thing to make the Baton Rouge area whole again”.

While reflecting on her first-hand experience with the aftermath of the flooding in Baton Rouge, Ophelia Hunter made a point that the recovery process is a very slow moving process not just because of the damage done but also because many individuals that were without flood insurance.

Newman has also been active in trying to help in the recovery flood effort. By partnering up with Team Comeback Kids, the school collected school supplies to fill backpacks for the families affected by the floods. Some Newman students also volunteered at The United Way to load boxes of flood relief supplies that were donated to non – profit organizations, shelters, and areas that are in the process of recovering from the flood.

Edited by Izzy Lane