Most Americans will remember 2020 as the year when the pandemic changed everything. But for Lake Charles, Louisiana, and its neighbors along the Gulf Coast, it was also the year of record-setting disasters, when “once-in-a-lifetime” storms hit in such rapid succession that their impacts blurred together.
A recent National Academies consensus study I worked on looked into the compounding disasters that the region faced – both physical and socioeconomic – as storm after storm arrived during the pandemic with little time for recovery.
It concludes that Lake Charles’ experiences could be a harbinger of what’s to come in a warming world unless the nation fundamentally rethinks its disaster preparedness, response and recovery strategies.
Lake Charles’ compounding disasters
Hurricane Laura made landfall near Lake Charles on Aug. 27, 2020, as a powerful Category 4 storm, with wind speeds exceeding those that local building codes were designed to protect against. The ongoing pandemic made filing FEMA assistance requests and insurance claims more difficult. Assessors could view properties only from afar, and on-site application assistance was suspended, forcing residents into untested online systems.
As the community struggled to self-document its losses, Lake Charles was struck again five weeks later by Hurricane Delta. The storm lashed already crippled buildings and sent debris flying, causing further damage and creating complex claims scenarios.
It was nearly impossible to differentiate new damage from existing damage worsened by the latest storm. Delayed recovery assistance left municipalities with no funds to pay for more debris removal.
Most Americans will remember 2020 as the year when the pandemic changed everything. But for Lake Charles, Louisiana, and its neighbors along the Gulf Coast, it was also the year of record-setting disasters, when “once-in-a-lifetime” storms hit in such rapid succession that their impacts blurred together.
A recent National Academies consensus study I worked on looked into the compounding disasters that the region faced – both physical and socioeconomic – as storm after storm arrived during the pandemic with little time for recovery.
It concludes that Lake Charles’ experiences could be a harbinger of what’s to come in a warming world unless the nation fundamentally rethinks its disaster preparedness, response and recovery strategies.
Lake Charles’ compounding disasters
Hurricane Laura made landfall near Lake Charles on Aug. 27, 2020, as a powerful Category 4 storm, with wind speeds exceeding those that local building codes were designed to protect against. The ongoing pandemic made filing FEMA assistance requests and insurance claims more difficult. Assessors could view properties only from afar, and on-site application assistance was suspended, forcing residents into untested online systems.
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