No more than a month and a half ago, the 150 mph winds of Hurricane Laura completely ravaged the state of Louisiana and parts of eastern Texas. Tens of thousands were affected by this Category 4 storm in numerous ways, from losing power, to losing jobs, to losing homes.

“It was terrible, it came blowing through my windows, and completely damaged my roof, walls, and floors,” a Lake Charles native Marjorie Ross said. 

Ross has lived in her home for over 50 years. Furthermore, the hurricane is said to have caused roughly 14.1 billion dollars in damage. Surely enough, the damage done upon the city was  absolutely appalling. Power lines were struck down in the streets, blocking roads and pathways. Pieces of wood from houses were strewn at random. Everything in complete disarray.

Speaking more with Lake Charles natives, Kyllon Harmon, a student at McNeese University shared his feelings on the hurricane. 

“School has become a complete mess, they keep opening only to shut back down again. It’s stressful having to do work online when worrying about what’s going on back at home,” Harmon said. 

Many have had to evacuate to the homes of those from various states, anywhere but Louisiana seemed like a safe haven. 

“Luckily, I live between Houston and Lake Charles, however, relatives from over there have had to stay at my house for a long period of time. At one point, there were 14 people staying in our 4 bedroom house all at once,”Harmon said. 

Sadly enough, this was not the end for Louisiana natives, for yet another hurricane hit the same exact area no longer than a week ago, furthering Lousianans into even more despair. The death toll for Hurricane Laura might only be 14, however, there is no doubt that this catastrophic event has ruined the lives of many.