Tropical Storm Barry is bearing down on Louisiana.
But the combined forces of the United Cajun Navy, Louisiana Cajun Navy and the combat vets of Stronghold Rescue and Relief are ready to help in the aftermath of what they anticipate to be a devastating storm.
“What we’re experiencing right now is something that’s never happened before,” explained United Cajun Navy founder Todd Terrell. “We’ve got a tropical storm, maybe a light hurricane coming in, but the Missippi River is already really high and there’s a possibility of it flooding the city of New Orleans. The lower Ninth Ward, where the levee broke during Hurricane Katrina, we’re concerned with it coming over the top there.”
Navy veteran and founder of the Louisiana Cajun Navy Clyde Cain also expects this storm to pack a punch, “We’ve been over 240 days with the levees being topped up and we can’t handle any more water. We’re praying that it doesn’t breach, but we’ve got boats coming here to the Hammond area so we can be ready to deploy.”
It’s a serious enough concern that many teams have pulled back into Baton Rouge where they are staged and now can only wait to see what happens next.
Among the volunteers, waiting is former Marine Corps Amphibious Assault crewman Sky Barkley. After serving in Iraq with 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, Barkley found himself called to keep serving. From 2016 to 2018 Barkley volunteered as a civilian combat medic during the war on ISIS, and was embedded with the Iraqi Army during the final assault to clear West Mosul.
Barkley, who came from Northeast Georgia, explains the unique partnership between the Cajun Navy and his organization Stronghold Rescue & Relief. “What Stronghold is actually doing is we’re in charge of dispatch and putting medics on the boats as the United Cajun Navy goes out. It’s a partnership that started last year when I met Todd Terrell during rescue operations in Florida during Hurricane Florence. The Lord led me to a Korean church in Wilmington in the middle of the hurricane, and we linked up with them. And it’s been going on ever since.”
He describes his new calling as that of a “Humanitarian Warrior”.
“Right now we’re filling sand bags to be taken to elderly citizen’s homes and other area disabled veterans, and make sure they’re taken care of,” explains Barkley.
Terrell explained that no matter what this storm brings to the greater New Orleans area, their team is ready. “We’ve got over 250 boats that are working with the military and the National Guard in the New Orleans area. We’re preparing and will be ready to head into the rescue portion of it in the next 24 hours.”
Like all volunteer leaders in the area, Cain explained how he has been in touch with local fire rescue and the National Guard, but was quick to point out how thousands of volunteers play a critical role every year, “We know we’re the gap fillers. We know FEMA can’t show up until later, and they don’t do boat rescues … The fire departments are stretched thin, so we become like taxi drivers with out boats.”
Barkley reminds all veterans that it’s times like these where they are all needed. “As Marines, Soldiers, Airmen, whatever, you can take that skill set and apply it to any kind of disaster, whether it’s a conflict zone, hurricane, earthquake whatever it is you can go out there on the front lines and save lives.”
When previous storms have ravaged the Gulf Coast, these veteran-led volunteer organizations have stepped in and provided another essential element, hope. “Y’know there’s less fear when the people know we’re out there and can be called on. I can’t imagine what it would feel like if we were not here and ready to help” said Cain.
As these organizations fill sandbags and gas up the boats and chain saws the need for resources becomes critical. “We mobilize and get started without donations coining in, so we’re often way upside down unless we get help,” explained Terrell.
You can find more information and ways to donate to these non-profit organizations through the links below.