VIDEO: Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans 20 years ago this week. The Louisiana Department of Health reports nearly 1,200 people died as a direct result of the storm, be it drownings or diseases. The Arkansas National Guard was one of many agencies and organizations on the ground after the storm.
Col. Joel Lynch was there for the better part of a month. He helped set up distribution stations, giving out food, water and other items to thousands of people, many of whom had lost everything.
However, one of his biggest takeaways was being able to help people who were too busy helping others to help themselves. “Those people, the police and the sheriff, and really, the first responders who were already there before we showed up, they were already bone tired and their own homes were underwater. Their own homes were affected, their families were being affected, but they were still coming to work, putting in 14, 18-hour days,” Lynch said.
He also talked about the crucial role Fort Chaffee in Fort Smith played in the aftermath of Katrina. More than 30 non-military agencies, like police and fire, as well as nearly 20 social service groups, like the Red Cross and Salvation Army, were there. They helped nearly 10,000 evacuees at Fort Chaffee who were sent there from Louisiana.
