NEW ORLEANS – The Cajun Navy, average joes with flat-bottom boats, left Baton Rouge on Monday morning to assist in search and rescue operations in the Houston area.
Dozens of volunteers, many of them with boats, gathered outside a supermarket to take on supplies and move out. The Cajun Navy was expecting to bring about 100 members and about 50 vessels to assist with operations in Texas.
“We kind of waited this morning to let the water settle down before we got over there, so we’re about to leave now and we’re going to see how that goes and send another crew first thing in the morning,” Todd Terrell, member of the Cajun Navy, said.
“I had a lot of experience with the fire department and the river patrol and stuff like that so I said well gosh I got to get over there a give a hand,” another member of Cajun Navy, Bobby McGinnis, said.
Other people donated food and items for the volunteers and families displaced by Hurricane Harvey.
“We have towels, blankets, snacks, peanuts, baby wipes, insect repellant, water, ponchos, yeah, kind of like goodie bags for the guys that are leaving,” volunteer Em Sonnier said.
Governor John Bel Edwards held an afternoon news conference on Monday and asked residents to stay prepared as the storm moves east over the next couple of days.
“We believe going forward, this will remain primarily a rain event, not a wind event from the storm, but there are a number of tornados that are developing as it relates to this storm as well, so please take those tornado watches and warning very seriously,” Edwards.