Disaster response teams activated
The Home Depot and Lowe’s activated their disaster preparedness team before the weekend storm, hoping along with the entire state of Louisiana for minimal damage.
Those hopes went largely unfulfilled as the storm picked up force and dropped damage across a huge area already softened by multiple hurricanes in 2020.
Though it has since weakened to a tropical storm, Ida brought extreme winds (150 mph), heavy rain and flash floods. Much of New Orleans was without power on Monday.
The Home Depot Foundation is working with national nonprofit partners including Team Rubicon, Convoy of Hope, Operation Blessing, All Hands and Hearts and ToolBank Disaster Service. Ahead of disaster season, the Foundation and its nonprofit partners strategically position emergency supplies in warehouses nationwide for quick deployment to impacted areas. The Home Depot Foundation has committed nearly $5 million to disaster response in 2021.
On Monday, Lowe’s pledged $2 million in wake of Hurricane Ida to support relief efforts. The company said it has shipped approximately 500 trucks with emergency supplies to more than 60 stores directly in Hurricane Ida's path in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.
The two giant home center chains aren't the only hardware companies working to mitigate the storm damage. Sulfer, La.-based Stine Lumber has been working around the clock to keep supplies flowing.
The company shared on social media the following video of Marketing Director Jeremy Stine describing the situation in Lake Charles, La., as Stine prepared for the storm..
Hurricane Ida's impact on Louisiana marked the first time that hurricanes with 150 mph sustained winds hit a state in back-to-back seasons. Hurricane Laura brought damage to Lake Charles last August, leading to similar industry responses.
