DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) – Many Louisiana residents evacuate state before Hurricane Ida, leaving hotels in surrounding cities like Houston and Atlanta full.
That’s why some say they ended up at Airbnbs in Dallas.
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“A [category] one, we were going to stay. The two of us were going to stay. But a three? We’re going to go, ”said Kenn Barnes Jr., a New Orleans resident now in Dallas.
He left town late Friday night and arrived in North Texas on Saturday morning August 28 at 3 a.m.
This is the first time he has been evacuated from a hurricane, but he has seen many during his years living in Louisiana, including Katrina.
“There are just too many uncertainties and variables that I think it is best for us to take precaution,” he said.
He and his wife just bought a house in New Orleans.
All he says he can do is watch his doorbell from afar, knowing that Saturday’s beautiful blue sky will turn dark and stormy tomorrow.
This is the harsh reality for many.
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Roads and airports are inundated with people trying to protect themselves.
“It was falling on us,” said Jarvis Sigur, an evacuee from Louisiana, as he arrived at a gas station in Dallas. “No other place was open. Houston was booked, took a pass because Galveston was booked… ”
Meanwhile, North Texas volunteer organizations like the Texas Baptist Men are heading in the opposite direction, in the storm, hoping they can provide resources to those in need.
“We load trucks, load trailers, get things ready. Tomorrow we will do more of the same. We plan to roll out Monday morning, ”said John-Travis Smith, associate executive director of Texas Baptist Men.
The organization will serve several thousand meals a day. They also bring food kitchen, showers and laundry units, along with their flood recovery items.
“We are here to bring help, hope and healing,” he said.
And as evacuees know, when hurricanes strike, it’s all about helping people.
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“In Louisiana, every hurricane may not hit you, but every hurricane will affect you. The people of Louisiana are very fond of welcoming people like other Texas residents. It’s a great combination of the two, ”said Barnes Jr.
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