Brittmoore Rescue moves to help Hurricane Laura victims in Lake Charles

HOUSTON - Brittmoore Rescue operates volunteer teams that respond to search and rescue requests after major hurricanes. Hurricane Laura presented a different case, but that didn’t stop them from stepping up.

Before Brittmoore’s volunteers can get out on the water, its emergency response starts with coordinating rescue teams from across the country, but just like storms, plans can change.

“We thought we would still be in boats at this time considering the fact that they thought it would be such a high storm surge,” says President and Co-founder Jessica Bedore.

The certified search and rescue non-profit was born during Harvey and says it's continued helping to get people to safety during major hurricanes. Crews left ahead of the storm, expecting to do the same for Laura.

“It’s a little somber right now,” describes Bedore. “That’s to be expected- there’s a lot of damage, a lot of people have lost their homes, vehicles, there’s a lot of structural damage to the surrounding cities and buildings,” she says.

Crews arrived in Lake Charles, Alexander, Pineville, and other nearby, low-lying areas to find that many residents took evacuations seriously.

Instead of the anticipated rescue calls, every hour, Brittmoore started getting requests for welfare checks.

“People are worried right now; a lot of the communications are down in the Lake Charles area and surrounding areas,” adds Bedore.

The group that has partnered with the Cajun Navy, has now moved from boats to boots on the ground, clearing debris in affected areas.

More teams are on standby and being dispersed in areas throughout the weekend when they'll also start preparing to set up supply centers.

“The call out for Louisiana has been something special, and they deserve it because they were here for us for Harvey, so it was our turn to be there for them during Laura,” says Bedore.

Brittmoore Rescue plans to provide relief and cleanup for a while with supplies sent from Houston while knowing their home base is always on board to help.

The group can use a variety of volunteers, from event planners to cleanup crews, and has had to cancel fundraisers due to the pandemic. To find out how you can help, visit https://brittmoorerescue.com.