Lt. Gov. Nungesser stresses the need for emergency plans before disasters

BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) – Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser spoke to a group dedicated to helping our state recover after natural disasters at the Emergency Disaster Volunteer Summit held at the Capitol Park Museum.

He and his panel of funders at the summit are stressing the importance of having an emergency plan before a natural disaster strikes.

Baton Rouge resident Julia Hunsucker says she and other friends she knows are well aware of the threat of flooding in our area and remain prepared.

“I’m on high ground, so I’m in pretty good shape.  I don’t have to worry about it, but I do have flood insurance just in case,” said Hunsucker.

Hunsucker says that after the 2016 flood in Baton Rouge, she knew people who had to get new homes and one friend who had a long road to recovery.

“She had to have everything taken out of her main floor,” Hunsucker mentioned.

Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser and panelists at the summit – who provide disaster response – say building community connections and relationships now – before you need them – is key.

“I sat in meetings day in and day out, through five hurricanes and the oil spill, and learned first-hand all the people behind the scenes, from GOHSEP for instance – they do incredible work to make things right in Louisiana,” Nungesser mentioned.

The summit brought together people who give money after floods and hurricanes, from organizations like The Baton Rouge Area Foundation, United Way, Louisiana Blue, and the Red Cross.

It was an effort to connect those in charge of allocating funds, and these leaders say they want you to do the same at the local level.

The speakers stressed the importance of building relationships and community connections before natural disasters.

They say it is crucial to figure out ahead of time who can connect you to someone who can assist with funding and resources in these cases.

The panelists also say communication and storytelling are key to their survival after a disaster, so they know where to give money.