Relief effort ongoing in southwest Louisiana after Delta strikes

Salvation Army disaster relief units continue to offer food, beverages, emotional and spiritual care and other services in southwest Louisiana, which has taken back-to-back blows from Hurricanes Laura and Delta in recent days and weeks.

Disaster workers from the Alabama-Louisiana-Mississippi, Arkansas-Oklahoma, Florida and Texas divisions are providing services from 26 mobile feeding units. Incident commands have been set up in Lake Charles, Lafayette, Alexandria and Monroe.

Hurricane Delta made landfall as a Category 2 hurricane Oct. 9, some six weeks after Laura struck the same area. Delta weakened rapidly after landfall and was downgraded to a tropical depression. Power outages are widespread, but service is steadily being restored. Louisiana State Emergency Management officials said power should be fully restored by Oct. 17.

Thus far, 15, 333 meals have been served in the Delta relief effort. Southern Baptist Disaster Relief teams from Texas are partnering with The Salvation Army on relief services in Lake Charles and Lafayette.