Hurricane Ida, a category 4 storm when it made landfall near Port Fourchon, Louisiana on Sunday, wreaked devastation as it tore through Louisiana and Mississippi.
The entirety of New Orleans lost power and rising flood waters necessitated dangerous rescues. Roofs were ripped from buildings, trees were blown down, and debris blocked off roads. At least one building collapsed. One person died in the storm and Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards warned Monday that he was “certain that as the day goes on, we will have more deaths.”
Ida has now weakened to a tropical storm and is expected to move through Mississippi and further north throughout the evening. Affected areas have a long road of recovery ahead. Some folks, for instance, could spend weeks without power, according to Entergy Louisiana, the local power company.
There are ways you can help, however. We’ve collected a few different places where you can send money or volunteer your time, and will update as necessary.
Here are a few organizations working to provide medical resources, assist locals in precarious situations, and feed folks amid the disaster.
Cajun Navy
Cajun Navy Relief is a local Louisiana nonprofit already doing a lot of work on the ground to immediately help folks in Louisiana. It helps folks trapped by floodwaters and collects and delivers supplies to those in need. You can donate to the organization here, but there’s no page to specifically donate to Ida efforts. You can learn about volunteering with the organization here or put in a request for help for a loved one here. The group already began rescuing folks who were trapped by flood waters.
Tweet may have been deleted
World Central Kitchen
Chef José Andrés has dedicated lots of time, energy, and money to feeding folks affected by disaster through the organization World Central Kitchen. Andrés is already on the ground in New Orleans ready to feed folks who may need it. This is important, considering folks might be without power for a significant period of time, which would leave them without refrigeration and, in some cases, the ability to cook at all.
You can donate to the organization here. It’s unclear if your donation will be earmarked specifically for its Ida efforts.
Tweet may have been deleted
GoFundMe
GoFundMe has put together a hub of fundraisers aimed at helping folks affected by Hurricane Ida. You can find that hub here. There are options to donate to relief efforts overall, groups helping out affected populations, or specific people. The hub page for GoFundMe says all the fundraisers on the page have been checked and certified.
CrowdSource Rescue
CrowdSource rescue started during Hurricane Harvey as a way of matching people who needed help with those who could help. Similar to Cajun Navy, this is a group of neighbors helping neighbors that’s able to get boots on the ground very quickly. It’s already mobilizing for Ida.
You can donate to the group or see if you can help or put in a request for assistance on this page. There’s no way to earmark donations specifically to its Ida efforts.
Tweet may have been deleted
Imagine Water Works
If you want to support a local organization embedded in the community, then Imagine Water Works might be a place to send money. The mutual aid group is collecting funds for relief and recovery in New Orleans and has helped provide relief during past disasters. You can donate to its Ida efforts and general hurricane season efforts here.
Save the Children
Save the Children, a nonprofit humanitarian group is collecting resources to help kids affected by Ida. You can donate to the organization’s Hurricane Ida Children’s Relief Fund here.
Public Good
If you’re looking to make a donation to a number of groups, this tool from CNN might be a good option. It splits your money among 13 organizations working on Ida relief, including: AirLink, All Hands and Hearts, American Red Cross, AmeriCares, Direct Relief, Global Giving Foundation, International Medical Corps, World Vision, World Central Kitchen, Save the Children, Rebuilding Together, Project HOPE, and International Relief Teams.
If you’d like to pick just one or a few of these groups, that’s an option as well.
American Red Cross
The well-known group has been subject to controversy, but it remains a major part of disaster response worldwide. It’s also standard place to send money during disasters. You can donate to the group’s Ida efforts here.
AmeriCares
The health-focused relief group helps get medicine to disaster areas. It currently has a 2x match promotion in order to raise funds to help those affected by Hurricane Ida. There doesn’t appear to be a way to earmark donations to Ida efforts.
All Hands and Hearts
All Hands and Hearts focuses on asking local communities what they need then providing it. It is also a group that tries to help communities rebuild longterm. You can donate to Ida relief efforts here.
This story will be updated with more resources as they become available.
