Hurricane Ida relief provided by generous Greater Oklahoma City Chamber members
Editor’s note: If you’re a Chamber member involved in relief efforts and we missed you in this piece, please let us know.
Hurricane Ida made landfall in Louisiana on Sunday, August 29—the 16th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. Many Oklahomans remember Katrina’s devastating impact and the response of Oklahomans. The New Orleans Hornets came to play in our city for two years due to the catastrophic destruction brought by the 2005 hurricane.
Thanks to the thoughtful precautions and preparations made by the city after enduring the Category 3 Hurricane Katrina, stronger and higher levees helped lessen some of the damage of this year’s storm. Years ago, multimillion dollars of investment were placed into levee improvements to help assure residents the system would not fail again in the future.
Despite improvements, Ida was a Category 4 hurricane and its 150mph winds created significant damage, flooding, and power outages throughout the area. Individuals are struggling without electricity, clean water, and access to important resources. When help is needed, Oklahomans know to step up.
Chamber Members OG&E, the American Red Cross, Walmart, and Feed the Children have each played a part in supporting the individuals affected by the disaster.
“We have more than 1,500 volunteers, many from Oklahoma, currently deployed in support of more than 16 emergency operations to alleviate human suffering,” said Misti McClellan, Executive Director Central Southwest Oklahoma American Red Cross. “This is just the beginning of peak storm season. Currently in the Gulf Coast alone, there are nearly 400 Red Cross responders on the ground opening and operating nearly 30 emergency shelters with nearly 2,000 residents, receiving and staging emergency supplies for up to 20,000 clients, and preparing for post-impact service delivery.”
Walmart is launching a register campaign to support the American Red Cross’s efforts. Between September 2-8, the company will match customer donations for up to $5 million dollar-for-dollar. Customers and members will have the opportunity to donate any amount, or round-up their purchase to the nearest dollar with the change going to support communities impacted by hurricanes, floods and fires in 2021, which means these dollars can also be allocated to assist with catastrophic events in the Oklahoma area.
The register campaign is in addition to Walmart’s $5 million commitment for response efforts to Hurricane Ida, for a total of up to $10 million from Walmart, the Walmart Foundation and Sam’s Club to help with disaster relief and response.
In addition to providing supplies, necessary finances, and shelter, OG&E has sent problem-solvers to the area to help regain power. Their help was requested by Entergy in Louisiana, so at 6 a.m. on the morning of the hurricane, a contingent of over 50 OG&E trucks carrying 240 linemen, vegetation management personnel, and support staff departed from a staging area in Shawnee. The group headed to Shreveport, Louisiana and arrived on Sunday evening in preparation of expected power outages due to the storm.
“Our crews are ready to go to work. We take pride in lending our resources and expertise to restore power to Entergy Louisiana’s customers should Hurricane Ida impact their electric service,” said Andrea Dennis, OG&E Vice President of Transmission & Distribution Operations. “We appreciate the assistance we received in times of severe weather events, and we are happy to answer the call when our fellow utility companies ask. We know people depend on electricity and our industry has long supported each other when disaster strikes.”
The electric utility is a member of the Midwest Mutual Assistance and Southeast Electrical Exchange, which dispatches mutual assistance teams in cases of widespread outages. Companies impacted by major outage events increase the size of their workforce by using restoration workers from other companies in unaffected areas.
OG&E’s mutual assistance crews are typically deployed for up to 14 days. The company will send additional support if needed.
Feed the Children is also demonstrating the Oklahoma Standard through their support. Five semi-trucks departed the nonprofit’s local distribution center on Friday morning to provide relief for Louisiana communities. The nonprofit will be working through partners like Reach Out America, Friend Ships Park West, the National Baptist Convention, House of Prayer, and Apostolic Outreach Center to help families in the hardest-hit areas of New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Thibodaux, and Jean Lafitte, Louisiana.
Each truck is carrying a generous quantity of relief supplies, which includes, shelf-stable food items, bottled water, hygiene items, cleaning products, laundry detergent, and facemasks. In alignment with their background of supporting children, they are bringing along Kid’s Disaster Packs. These backpacks are filled with hygiene items, toys, activities and safety items as well as The Comfort Quilt coloring book with counseling resources.
Feed the Children is accepting cash donations to support its disaster relief efforts. Visit feedthechildren.org for more information on how you can help.
Disasters like hurricane Ida can be devastating for communities, families, and individuals. We are inspired by the work of our community and send continued hope to Louisiana.
About OG&E:
Oklahoma Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of OGE Energy Corp. (NYSE: OGE), is Oklahoma’s largest electric utility. For more than a century, we have provided customers in Oklahoma and western Arkansas the safe, reliable electricity needed to power their businesses and homes at rates below the national average. Our employees are committed to generating and delivering electricity, protecting the environment and providing excellent service to our 858,000 customers. OG&E has 7,081 MW of electric generation capacity fueled by low-sulfur coal, natural gas, wind and solar. OG&E employees live, work and volunteer in the communities we serve. For more information about OG&E, visit our website at oge.com or follow us on Facebook at Facebook.com/ogepower, Instagram: @ogepower and Twitter: @OGandE.
About the American Red Cross:
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides comfort to victims of disasters; supplies about 40% of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; distributes international humanitarian aid; and supports veterans, military members and their families. The Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to deliver its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.
About Walmart
Walmart has opened thousands of stores in the U.S. and expanded internationally. Through innovation, we're creating a seamless experience to let customers shop anytime and anywhere online, through mobile devices and in stores. We are creating opportunities and bringing value to customers and communities around the globe. Walmart operates approximately 10,500 stores and clubs under 48 banners in 24 countries and eCommerce websites. We employ 2.2 million associates around the world — nearly 1.6 million in the U.S. alone. Visit walmart.com for more information.
About Feed the Children
At Feed the Children, we feed hungry kids. We envision a world where no child goes to bed hungry. In the U.S. and internationally, we are dedicated to helping families and communities achieve stable lives and to reducing the need for help tomorrow, while providing food and resources to help them today. We distribute product donations from corporate donors to local community partners, we provide support for teachers and students, and we mobilize resources quickly to aid recovery efforts when natural disasters strike. Internationally, we manage child-focused community development programs in eight countries. We welcome partnerships because we know our work would not be possible without collaborative relationships. Visit feedthechildren.org for more information.
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