Leaning on the lessons learned from Katrina, The Cajun Navy has begun to mobilize its army of volunteers in advance of Hurricane Ida making landfall.

DENHAM SPRINGS, LA, UNITED STATES, August 28, 2021 /EINPresswire.com/ -- As Hurricane Ida approaches Louisiana, forecasters are warning residents to brace themselves for a Category 4 storm that is expected to hit with winds as fast as 140 mph (225 kph). The hurricane will make landfall on the exact date of when Katrina devastated New Orleans in 2005. While Katrina was just classified at three before making landfall southwest of New Orleans, Ida has been upgraded from 2. She is now expected to make landfall as a potentially catastrophic
Category 4.

Leaning on the lessons learned from Katrina, The Cajun Navy has begun to mobilize its army of volunteers.

Dubbed the "Cajun Navy," this group of first responders and concerned citizens are preparing their boats for what is expected to be an epic disaster once again hitting south Louisiana.

"We realized that we needed to be in a position where we could help more people. We are not just going to sit here and wait until we get a call," said Jon Bridgers of the Cajun Navy 2016.

"So, we are just going to get out in public in areas that we know where people need us. And then when we get a call, like Katrina, we'll be able to go do what we do - help those in need."

They are staging equipment and volunteers in Denham Springs, Louisiana, and have a representative in the Parish's Emergency Operations Center.

Additionally, thanks to a generous donation made by the Gary Sinise Foundation, the Cajun Navy 2016 has formed a special swift response team to focus on water search and rescue.

Meanwhile, in Slidell, Louisiana, they have six boat teams ready to spring into action and are currently staging at strategic locations throughout the area with volunteers and equipment ready to go.

Some of the resources available to help the Cajun Navy perform its life-saving mission are:

•Multiple Boats
•Airboat
•Side-By-Side UTVs
•Chainsaws
•Command Unit

"We have a lot of resources coming in, and we are gearing up right now to help people when the time comes," said Bridgers. "Every hour that we get closer to landfall, our concern level just goes up."

The Cajun Navy 2016 is also actively collecting donations for its operations. If you would like to donate equipment, supplies, or make a financial donation, visit their website at

https://pinnaclesar.org/donate

Laurie Bridgers
Pinnacle Search and Rescue (Cajun Navy 2016)
+1 833.225.8616
laurie@cajunnavy2016.org
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