Overwhelmed Lake Charles residents pick up the pieces with no electricity

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Lake Charles residents recovering following Hurricane Laura

FOX 26's Randy Wallace speaks with residents who surveyed what was left behind by Hurricane Laura.

"Every tree in the neighborhood is down," said Lake Charles resident Bill Lowry.

Trees litter the ground like matchsticks. Power lines look like contortionists.

"Unbelievable," Lowry said. "It looks like a tornado has come through or a bomb went off. I didn't even know this was our street."

Lowry told us his 80-year-old neighbor Ann Holcombe rode out the Category 4 Hurricane.

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She says it was her third one.

"This was a wild ride, this didn't even compare," Holcombe said.

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Holcombe said it was like holding the door trying to keep an airplane from coming in.

How does it compare with Hurricane Rita which Holcombe says was her worst to ride out? 

"This triples it," she said.

The high Lake Charles residents were feeling knowing they survived this catastrophic storm is fading. It's being replaced with how long will it take to be whole again.

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"When will we have electricity? How are we going to get this all clear," Lowry said. "It's just overwhelming right now."

"This is different, this is sad," Holcombe said. "This is the destruction of this town."

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