Saturday, September 25th, 2021
Special Edition: Rescues, Recovery & Real Stories w/ the Cajun Navy
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Thousands of people in Louisiana are cleaning up from Hurricane Ida, one of the most powerful storms to ever make landfall in the U.S. Who is there to help when first responders get overwhelmed? What happens in these communities in the weeks after the winds die down, the floodwaters recede and the national media leaves?
Volunteers are often doing the work to help their neighbors pick up the pieces and rebuild. One of those organizations is the Cajun Navy. The group got its start after Hurricane Katrina in 2005 when boat owners stepped up to help rescue people. Since then, Cajun Navy volunteers have become a regular presence whenever a natural disaster strikes.
One of those volunteers is Rob Gaudet. He’s from the Cajun Navy Ground Force in Louisiana and is the founder and director of the Cajun Navy Foundation. Rob has been on the road for weeks helping in the wake of Hurricane Ida. Today, he’s sharing what he’s seeing now after that storm and the types of volunteer missions that have stuck with him for years.
For information on how to volunteer or donate, visit CrowdRelief.net
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Guest: Rob Gaudet
Rob Gaudet is the director and founder of the Cajun Navy Ground Force in Louisiana, one of a number of organizations that use the Cajun Navy name. He is the founder of the Cajun Navy Foundation.
Rob, who has 25 years of experience in engineering and internet software development, is credited with creating a new model for disaster relief. During the 2016 flooding, Rob realized that technology and social media created new opportunities for everyday citizens to get involved in disaster relief. He was also named the 2016 Louisianian of the Year for his recovery efforts.
Since first getting involved in 2005 during Hurricane Katrina, where he developed innovative ways for finding lost relatives in shelters across the country, Rob's actions have reached thousands of survivors by organizing rescue and relief operations during more than 15 natural disasters
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