Flood Update: August 26th

If you’ve heard very little to nothing about the devastation a recent no-name storm caused in south Louisiana, then please read my original post from August 18th and the August 21st update.   I’ve added some news links with the abridged version, as well as some video/photos:  

This video is of the main road off of the interstate that goes to my hometown.


And this one shows the residential areas in my hometown...



The interview Fox News did with Livingston Parish Sheriff Jason Ard is worth a watch for a better idea of how many people are affected: Painful Truth About Louisiana's Flood

There were more than 80% of the homes flooded and destroyed.  Thirty (30) parishes were declared disaster areas. Thirteen people lost their lives to this unprecedented storm.

The below picture is of the Livingston Parish 9-1-1 Communication Center that started taking on water August 12th.  Look closely, you'll see the waterline hit above four feet.  Imagine our comm center, which is also on the first floor of an old brick building, flooded with four feet of muddy river water.  That's our lifeline when things break bad.  Our communication with others, aside from officer safety, is one of the most important aspects of our job.

The flood waters receded for most areas, the devastation becomes demolition, and the piles of debris become toxic as it sits roadside waiting for the dump trucks.  Louisiana is a state engulfed with heat and humidity.  Add muddy river-water-drenched debris and you can watch the mold spread before your eyes.

Some areas are still flooded with up to two feet of stagnant black river water.  Until the surrounding rivers go down, the water has nowhere to go.  And you have to get over the whole Hurricane Katrina / New Orleans is below sea level.

One of the hardest hit areas happens to be my hometown of Denham Springs, in the heart of Livingston Parish.  This town is over 40 feet above sea level.  This is where my relief efforts will be focused.  With the amazing support of friends, family, and the kindness of strangers, I've been blessed with donations of clothes, toiletries, cleaning supplies, etc. that are overflowing my garage.  It's more than I ever expected, and quite frankly, if it takes more than one trip to deliver it all, then more than one trip I'll gladly make.

As trucks unload, there's another call for help, another shelter in need, another rescue underway.  The supplies dwindle.  Stores lack inventory.  Merchandise is being delivered, however there's very few businesses dry enough to take anything in.

The first responders are pulling double duty with working around the clock to continue the rescues, only to go home to start demolishing mold infested drywall and pulling up wood floors.  They get a couple hours of sleep/rest then return to work for another shift.  Outside law enforcement and fire rescue agencies are sending their personnel as backup.  Several outside police agencies have sent manpower to be temporarily sworn deputies in Livingston Parish.  They've prevented and/or caught red handed several looters.  So on top of the rescues, the lack of supplies, the rotting houses, and long hours, our fellow first responders are also the forgotten victims.

I don't usually share much about my life in such an open forum due to my job as a moving target for cop haters.  This devastation has created a bigger threat for me.  My family is affected, my friends are affected, my home is affected.

I made the excuse recently that because this natural disaster didn't touch my agency here in Florida, or my community, then no one would care; why should they, it only affects me.  I was wrong.  It affects everyone around me.  To show you a glimpse of just how much it affects those around me, here's a picture of day 1 donations followed by day 4.  If it didn't affect those around me, none of this would've been possible.

                                                                      DAY 1...                                    

"The actions of everyday heroes make a bigger statement than any words you'll ever hear." 

Day 4...

There are so many things still needed.  Please note, I'm not accepting any monetary donations.  You can google local Louisiana organizations you wish to send money to.  Preferably not the American Red Cross, who is NOT using the funds donated (or anything else for that matter) to help the flood victims.  Before you donate to a generic organization please do your research.

Here's the main requests being sent to the Louisiana Flood Rescue page and updates from loved ones:

1. bottled water
2. toiletries
3. dust masks
4. gloves
5. tools (for demolition and rebuilding)
6. Mold Killer: MoldSTAT, Concrobium, etc. (BLEACH DOES NOT KILL MOLD)
7. OdoBan / Lysol
8. Paper towels
9. Blankets / Pillows
10. Towels
11. Plastic Bins
12. Pet supplies (all animals) 
13. First aid kits
14. Food / snacks for first responders on shift as well as shelters

I'll be out and about this weekend picking up donations around the county to add to the truck.  If you wish to donate anything please don't feel as though you have to purchase it (unless it's underwear or toothbrush)!  I've said it before, a roll of paper towels and a half bottle of cleaner from under your sink is just as useful as anything else you could purchase.

The truck will be loaded Wednesday, August 31st.  Everything from renting the truck, fuel, and a one way flight home is out of pocket.  Please understand that no donations will be picked up or accepted past Tuesday, August 30th.  It's a tight schedule for the next six days to get this done.  I'm making this haul by myself, so prayers for safe travels is also appreciated.

Stay tuned for updates ...

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Sissi M.
ragin.mccajun@gmail.com

*or if you know me personally through friends/work please feel free to call or text me.

Continued Help and Prayers

August 21st Update from Original Post :

The word is trickling out about the widespread damage in South Louisiana from severe flooding.  If you don't use social media you likely missed the breaking news about it.  A no-name storm dumped more than three feet of water over the past week which in turn overflowed the rivers and surrounding bodies of water.  The overflow then flooded entire parishes (counties to you non-native folks).  When I say flooded, I don't mean two or three inches over the roads.  It was so much water rushing through cities and residential areas that it looked like the Mississippi River took a detour at a rapid pace.

There's more to come, the rains continue, the hot and humid conditions after the rain worsen the growth of mold and mildew.  There's supplies flowing in from all over, however they run out quick.  If you remember the hurricanes we fared here in Florida, even as prepared as we were, there were still shortages.  Think of the things you needed then, the immediate necessities.

This is a list of some of the basic needs requested as the rescue and recovery efforts are underway:

1. bottled water
2. non-perishable foods
3. toothbrushes
4. toothpaste
5. wet wipes
6. deodorant
7. soaps
8. shampoos
9. Feminine products 
10. baby formula
11. diapers
12. pet foods (dry/canned! So many abandoned/lost) 
13. cleaning supplies (MOLD KILLER, OdoBan, Lysol, dawn soap, etc)
14. trash bags
15. gloves
16. dust masks
17. plastic bins
18. towels / wash cloths
19. blankets
20. pillows

Please also consider donating any professional services that will assist in the cleanup, temporary storage units, even temporary housing such as tents.  

I'm asking all of my local friends, coworkers, acquaintances, kindness of strangers, and anyone else they can share this with, to gather what they can for donations of the above items.  If you're nearby or on the way, feel free to contact me and I'll make arrangements to have the items picked up.

The truck is being loaded on the 31st, I'm leaving in the wee hours of the morning from Central Florida on September 1st.  

Contact info is below, but here it is again:  ragin.mccajun@yahoo.com  to Sissi M. for information/questions/and drop off locations.

I'm not accepting monetary donations.  If you wish to donate funds you can go to any of the main Second Harvest Food Bank or United Way websites, though most of this gets filtered into a general account that won't directly affect the Louisiana Flood Relief.  Here's some Louisiana local organization branches you can check out:

Donations can be made at any First Guaranty Bank location and Reference Livingston Parish Sheriff's Office Deputy Relief Fund.

Checks can also be mailed to:
LPSO Deputy Relief Fund
PO Box 1515
Livingston, LA 70754

Baton Rouge Area Foundation

Denham Springs Animal Shelter


Items to donate are not limited to the above list.  Those are just the immediate needs.  YES old towels/wash cloths are welcome, YES old blankets/pillows are welcome, YES clothes are welcome. These items need to be clean as they will be going directly to the shelters and communities in need--there's no place for many of these folks to bathe, let alone wash clothes.  A roll of paper towels and a half empty bottle of cleaner from under your sink is just as needed and appreciated as any new items.  Please don't feel you have to buy anything to donate.

Please remember our fellow first responders in these flooded areas have also lost everything, even work gear.  If there's any law enforcement/fire fighter/EMS/support personnel who wish to donate gear I'll make direct contact with the Livingston Parish Sheriff's Office and Fire Departments to have it distributed.  They continue to work around the clock in less than human conditions.

P.S. ...anybody know where I can get a fire truck?  One of the fire stations was a complete loss. Figured it can't hurt to ask!

God bless all of you and thank you for your continued prayers.  

Contact Sissi M.: ragin.mccajun@yahoo.com  for information/questions/and drop off locations.  

Help and Prayers Please

I'm heartbroken trying to find the words to type, and asking for help from all who read this.  As many of you are UNaware, due to lack of news coverage, political priority, or no loved ones affected by it, this past weekend over 105,000 people in South Louisiana lost everything to widespread flooding.  Among those 105,000+ people are my family and friends.  My entire hometown, the entire parish of Livingston and surrounding parishes were drowned in muddy river water as high as rooftops in some areas.  Over 30 parishes are considered disaster areas.

I currently live in Florida, which counties here are the same thing as parishes in Louisiana. To look at a basic county map of FL and color in 30 of them...that's  the entire peninsula of the state below Citrus/Volusia County.  In Louisiana (it's shaped like a boot for you non-geography types) that's the entire foot area, ankle deep, of the state.  There's basically nothing left but a leg warmer on the map for that region. Can you grasp the widespread area that's affected?  

The pictures and videos shared on social media were the only updates many people were getting because there's no national coverage showing the mass devastation.  The storm was no warning for the amount of rain that dumped over the state since last week.  Some areas as much as 31 inches in twenty-four hours.  When I started getting calls about it I immediately turned to The Weather Channel to see what the updates were.  There was no breaking news for it, no interruption of regularly scheduled storm chaser documentaries.  I changed the channel to a dozen news stations...nothing but politics and Olympics.  The "-ics" were more important than the worst natural disaster the country has seen since Hurricane Sandy in 2012.  There was no tropical storm, no hurricane, no levees breaking.  It was rain, so much rain that overflowed the rivers and canals surrounding that area.  

I was off on Monday, and spent the majority of it on the phone and online trying to reach loved ones.  AT&T cell service was completely down, leaving hundreds of thousands with no means of communication.  No phones, no tv, and soon after that no electricity.  By Tuesday, emotionally drained, frustrated, and feeling helpless, I went to work.  Mind you, the majority of my coworkers know I'm from Louisiana.  I seriously thought I worked with a bunch of a-holes that day because everyone carried on like all was right in the world.  When I showed coworkers the devastation they were astonished it wasn't being shown on the news, none of them knew.       

The critics asked why no one evacuated.  People did evacuate.  By the time they realized how fast the waters were rising and the rain wasn't stopping, it was already too late.  A flash flood hit some areas while others thought they were safe, then the currents changed and flooded them too.  

One friend said they fell asleep Friday night not thinking anything of it since the roads weren't even covered in their subdivision.  This area wasn't even near a flood zone.  The next morning they woke to nearly a foot of water surrounding their bed.  

The following night another friend called in tears saying she had evacuated her home with her two kids the day before only to be trapped on the roof of another home.  They waited for hours in pouring rain for rescue boats as they watched the flood waters reach the overhang.  Her husband is deployed overseas and she had no way to reach him.  

My best friend lost all of her belongings aside from the clothes on her back.  She barely made it to her parents in time with fire rescue to save them from rising waters. They lost one of four family pets to the flood.  Her parents home went under, as well as her grandmother's, and her brother's home.  

My niece, God bless her, sent her friends and their small children on the first round of rescue evacuations.  She stayed, alone, with her three dogs.  Her fiance was stuck in New Orleans with no way to get to her.  The waters kept rising to the point she was forced to seek higher ground.  She waded across to a neighbor who provided as much dry shelter as they could.  Rescue boats returned two days later and she made it safely to my sister's house Sunday night.  

More updates from friends trying to find family members, or reporting found children who were separated from their parents during the fast rising flood waters.  One young boy was alone on the roof of a car where he sat in the rain through the night until boaters rescued him.  He looked no older than twelve.  Another update showed caskets floating down the road.

The death toll has risen to thirteen.  One of the victims identified was a friend of the family.  Ms. Linda Bishop was trying to get to safety when the water came out of nowhere and swept her off the road.  Trapped, she drowned in her vehicle.  Another lady and her adult daughter escaped from their car only to be swept into the trees where the mother was rescued 16 hours later.  Her daughter disappeared.  When the waters receded her daughter's body was found less than ten feet from where she was rescued.  She lost two children that day.  They were on their way to identify her son who had died earlier Friday from a heart attack.   

Strangers flocked to the areas with boats and rafts to help other strangers through murky water, pouring rain, and darkness.   Hospitals, nursing homes, prisons, animal shelters, churches, food banks, the Salvation Army and Goodwills, grocery stores, gas stations, food distributions centers for the grocery stores and gas stations, schools, shelters, first responder buildings and emergency operations centers...EVERYTHING flooded.  

The most surreal statement came from Deputy Nick Tullier's father who keeps loved ones updated on his status.  Deputy Tullier was one of the officers ambushed by the coward in Baton Rouge who murdered three police officers, more were injured, and Deputy Tullier was shot multiple times.  He's still unconscious fighting for his life after nearly 30 days of intensive care. That care is being provided by hospital staff who haven't been able to leave because their relief is waiting to be rescued.  They've had little to no contact with loved ones, unknown if their homes are still standing or if they've also lost everything, yet they continue to care for patients and meet the needs of the community with medical care.  

My fellow law enforcement family and first responders face complete losses of their homes while they work endless hours to rescue others.  The missing persons list is growing.  Even with the major interstates and roadways opening to a slow crawl as flood waters recede, the supplies are dwindling, and needs are rising.      

I broke down after I received a text from my mom today when I asked what the main needs for people were.  She replied with a list then said: "The Baton Rouge Food bank got 4 feet of water, so they have taken a hit but companies from other states have come in and are providing hot meals where they are needed.  Grocery stores are having a hard time getting restocked because the distribution centers also got water.  And supplies from elsewhere couldn't get to a lot of places because of high water and road closures.  Driving to and from work is like a horror movie.  All the debris from the flooded houses is piled high on every road.  This is going to take a long time to recover from because it's so widespread."    

This link is to one of many collections of photographs friends are sharing with updates: Flood of 2016 , and if you feel so inclined to search for more on Google just type in Louisiana Flooding...go ahead, I'll wait. 

One more worth looking at is a live feed facebook video by John Schneider.  If any of you ask who that is I'd normally yell at you to get off my blog.  As a gentle reminder to those less cultured in Dukes of Hazard royalty, he also played Superman's adopted dad in the T.V. series Smallville.  Just watch the video:

If you didn't bother to open any of the links or read the delayed news stories then I hope you at least read this and find it in your hearts (and garages, attics, closets and storage) to donate whatever used/new items you can. This is a list of some of the basic needs requested:

1. bottled water
2. non-perishable foods
3. toothbrushes
4. toothpaste
5. wet wipes
6. deodorant
7. soaps
8. shampoos
9. Feminine products 
10. baby formula
11. diapers
12. pet foods (dry/canned/half used bags even! So many abandoned/lost) 
13. cleaning supplies (MOLD KILLER)
14. trash bags
15. gloves
16. dust masks
17. plastic bins
18. towels
19. blankets
20. pillows

Please also consider donating any professional services that will assist in the cleanup, temporary storage units, even temporary housing such as tents.  

I'm asking all of my local friends, coworkers, acquaintances, kindness of strangers, and anyone else they can share this with, to gather what they can for donations of the above items.  If you're nearby or on the way, feel free to contact me and I'll make arrangements to have the items picked up.  You can also donate through one of the local banks to Livingston Parish Sheriff's Office flood relief fund.  

**August 19th update: 

To answer a few questions asked from amazing people who are gathering items, I'm leaving the Central Florida area on September 1st to bring the supplies.  

Contact info is below, but here it is again:  ragin.mccajun@yahoo.com  to Sissi M. for information/questions/and drop off locations.  

Items to donate are not limited to the above list; those are just the immediate needs.  YES old towels/wash cloths are welcome, YES old blankets/pillows are welcome, YES these items need to be clean as they will be going directly to first responders for distribution to the shelters and communities in need--there's no place for many of these folks to bathe, let alone wash clothes.  

A roll of paper towels and a half empty bottle of cleaner from under your sink is just as needed and appreciated as any new items.  Please don't feel you have to buy anything to donate.  My boys and I have lawn bags full of old clothes and shoes that we're sending.  An 84 year old console piano I had planned to paint for an art piece is now going to a church that can use it for a much greater purpose.  Beach chairs, a tent, some duplicate tools we have in the garage.  These are simple things we can live without that are huge needs for so many people back home who are without everything.  

Please remember our fellow first responders in these flooded areas have also lost everything, even work gear.  If there's any law enforcement/fire fighter/EMS/support personnel who wish to donate gear I'll make direct contact with the Livingston Parish Sheriff's Office to have it distributed.  They continue to work around the clock in less than human conditions.  

P.S. ...anybody know where I can get a fire truck?  One of the fire stations was a complete loss. Figured it can't hurt to ask! 

God bless all of you and thank you for your continued prayers.  

Contact Sissi M.: ragin.mccajun@yahoo.com  for information/questions/and drop off locations.  

Black and White Art

Just a few paintings from the "Black & White" series.

Piano Rescue #1

This beauty was rescued from a warehouse a few weeks ago.  A little TLC and new black gloss paint brought this 1972 Story & Clark console piano back to life.  It's up for adoption to find a forever home as I start my next piano rescue (a 1932 STARR upright!).

Black Beauty, as I have fondly named this one, is currently listed at http://spacecoast.craigslist.org/msg/5443977544.html for $340.00 or best offer.  Check it out!...and yes, there's a hidden jackalope!

Native Florida Art Show

So blessed to be a part of this upcoming art show: Native Florida.  Two of my paintings will be humbling hanging among some amazing art.  

Feathers on the beach, 24" x 24" gallery wrapped canvas:

Plover birds on the beach, 12" x 36" gallery wrapped canvas

If you're looking for a fun date night for Valentine's Day weekend or single wanting to mingle, come on out to the Art Gallery of Viera and say "hi".  Don't forget to look for the hidden jackalope ;-)