As Hurricane Ida comes to a halt after devastating cities along the east coast, some Washita County residents have decided to help those affected by the storm.
Andy Archuleta of Burns Flat is the area manager for Environmental Troubleshooters, a company that operates heavy equipment that assists with clean-up such as hydrovacs as well as tests for any potential ground contaminations.
Archuleta, along with his crew, headed to Louisiana on Thursday, September 4 to begin with their help.
“The hydrovacs are actually gonna help assist with the lines and help restore power. We’re gonna help dig the power line holes,” he said.
Before leaving, Archuleta took to Facebook to make a post asking if anyone would like to have donated cases of water for the families in Louisiana.
“People have donated money and people have donated supplies,” Archuleta said. “The ones that have donated money, that money has been turned around and put on even more supplies to help out the affected in Louisiana.”
Achuleta said he is currently planning to stay in Louisiana for three months in his company’s effort to help those affected.
“This is a tragic event for the people of Louisiana. It’s definitely a mess down here but so far I’ve seen everyone working together to clean up and rebuild,” Archuleta said. “We will be here to help until the last piece of trash is picked up and the last power pole is in place.”
Over in Cordell, a few residents have taken it upon themselves to help out how they can as well.
One such resident, Gil Bloomer announced on a Facebook Live that he and his company Cut Throat Jig Company had begun a fundraiser to collect things and money for the people in Louisiana as he prepared to drive to Louisiana himself.
“I spoke with eight different families and then I spoke with several people at gas stations. The biggest thing that people are needing are SAE 30, just regular 30 weight oil for generators, gas cans, fuel, roofing nails, and tarps. It’s a very small list. Those are the primary things people are needing down here,” Bloomer said during his Facebook Live on Friday, September 3 while he was in Louisiana.
Bloomer also mentioned that he’d been told FEMA takes care of food and things of that nature. He also mentioned he has plans to return this weekend depending on the donations received.
One other way that residents of Cordell can help is by taking packs of water to Wookies Tattoo and Body Piercing as owner Rachel Jones has decided to begin collecting the packs to give to the Red Cross as well as Bloomer when he returns to Cordell.
“About the only thing I can do is collect water to send down there. With the devastation that has constantly happened down there with hurricanes,” Jones said. “It’s just what we’re supposed to do. They’re our neighbors. So we have to take care of them. I’ll continue to donate as long as I can.”