Episcopal Relief & Development continues to support regional partners in response to Hurricane Ida as much of Louisiana and parts of Mississippi continue to face power outages, lack of water and extensive property damage to homes and businesses.

Hurricane Ida left more than a million people in the Gulf Coast region without power. While utility teams are working to restore power, as well as water and sewer, it may be several weeks before utilities are fully restored. Many residents have evacuated their homes, even if the home was not damaged, as it is not safe to remain without power or water. Thousands of homes were damaged or destroyed. Experts estimate the total damage could exceed $50 billion, according to AP News, making Ida one of the costliest hurricanes in US history. The remnants of Ida caused flooding and damage yesterday in Washington, DC, Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Rhode Island as it moved north.

Episcopal Relief & Development’s US Disaster Program team is continuing daily coordination calls with the Episcopal dioceses of Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas and Western Louisiana in response to Hurricane Ida and is in contact with other partners as they assess the damage from the storm.

“Right now, our focus is on identifying and meeting immediate needs,” said Katie Mears, Senior Director, US Disaster Program, Episcopal Relief & Development. “We are grateful for the response from the community of people wanting to help and we ask that you not donate in-kind items because our partners don’t have the capacity to sort and store them.”

To learn more about how to help after a disaster, click here. Please continue to pray for the people who have evacuated, those who are still in their homes, first responders and everyone who has been impacted by Hurricane Ida from Louisiana to Rhode Island Please consider a donation to Episcopal Relief & Development’s Hurricane Relief Fund to support our continued response to Hurricane Ida and other storms.