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Giving Help For Gutting Flood-Damaged Homes

Sue Lincoln

Governor John Bel Edwards met with U.S Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson Thursday, acknowledging the massive recovery task that lies ahead.

“Housing will certainly be a major issue,” the governor said, with over 40-thousand homes sustaining some level of flood damage.

“As many are still waiting for the waters to recede, others are just now beginning the process of ripping out carpet, wet drywall, and removing damage from their homes,” Edwards continued, urging folks to be smart and safe as they begin the work. “Visit emergency.la.gov for tips on the clean-up and protecting your own health during this process.”

After the governor’s press conference, I stopped by the offices of Together Baton Rouge. They’ve been running an on-line survey regarding people’s needs in the aftermath of the flooding.

“We probably are having more experience with what people are dealing with outside the shelters right now,” Broderick Baggert, director of the community advocacy group, told me.

What are the needs? Renee Singleton says the comments from one resident reflected the majority of what they’re hearing.

“He said my immediate need is demolition. He says I need to get my house gutted.”

Folks here remember how delays for New Orleans residents  trying to get back and start the clean-up of Katrina-flooded properties led to greater damage.

“I think there are churches that are doing it for their members,” Baggert said, as he called volunteers together for a discussion. “What would it mean to set up a responsible, effective and helpful gutting operation?”

“Part of what we’re talking about is to have people do safe gutting, right?”

“Yeah.”

“And we make sure that they have the right kind of materials to do it right.”

That means rubber gloves, dust masks, goggles, buckets, and gallons and gallons of bleach to halt the growth of mold.

“I don’t want to do it if we can’t confidently have the materials,” Baggert said.

“Let me see if the distributor can get it to us,” one of the volunteers said, grabbing her cell phone and slipping into another room.

Calls were made, other calls came in, supplies were promised, safety flyers and volunteer teams discussed and within 15 minutes all but the location for Saturday’s base of operations was set.

The only other thing left? Whether to call it “Operation: Gut Check”  or “To-Gutting Baton Rouge.”