NEW ORLEANS – New Orleans City Council and Mayor Cantrell teamed up to offer free sandbags to residents today at several locations between 8 AM and noon.
“I’m grateful that they’re here giving out sandbags and I made sure I was the first one here and the first one in the line,” New Orleans Resident, Darlene Pichon told WGNO.
As hurricane Laura nears the state, New Orleans city leaders said they’re doing everything in their power to keep the community safe. That included providing New Orleans residence with sandbags- an initiative they haven’t done in years but plan to keep doing.
“We’ve seen a lot of citizens that really want this service, right? And I think we’ve seen a lot of storm events that have been very intense and they’ve created a lot more rain and people are really understanding that they can take matters into their own hands and really prevent some potential damage,” New Orleans City Councilwoman Kristin Palmer shared.
The sandbags were free and no documentation was required. However, there was a limit: four per person. The locations? Arthur Monday Center, Dryades YMCA, Raymond Church, and Saint Maria Goretti Church. Palmer encouraged the community to volunteer.
“So, the next person that comes, if they’re elderly or physically disabled, we can go ahead and load them up so they don’t have to get out of their car,” Palmer explained.
Residents say initiatives like this send a strong message to the community.
“There’s actually individuals here to help you if you need help,” New Orleans resident, Tyrone Casby said.
