Our Hurricane Ida Recovery & Response

Zack Klein • September 23, 2021

On the evening of Sunday, August 29, 2021, Hurricane Ida made landfall near Port Fourchon, La. with sustained winds of 150 MPH. It tied the 1856 Last Island hurricane and Hurricane Laura as the strongest landfalling hurricane on record in the state. Only Hurricane Katrina has had higher central pressure at landfall.


This storm caused severe, widespread destruction across South Louisiana and parts of Mississippi. Ida has displaced thousands and devastated many lives. Following the storm, our team mobilized and headed south to help restore lives and businesses.


Responding, Restoring and Re-Occupying


The first step was responding as quickly as soon as it was safe for our team. From there, we started assessing the damages that schools and other commercial properties endured. Then, we met with two school districts to present our scope of work. In total, we are working on all of the 80 public schools located in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana. In addition, we are restoring 33 schools in Orleans Parish. Each day, we have approximately 5,000 individuals working hard to get these places of learning to normal operations. All but 3 to 5 schools are expected to be completed by October 1st.


Last week, our CEO, Shawn Folks was interviewed on WWL-TV Channel 4 in New Orleans on the work we are completing for the schools in Jefferson Parish.

Helping Our Team Help Others

Additionally, our team is comprised of 150 plus individuals are who have been all hands-on deck since before the storm made landfall. We have set-up base at our Kenner office, where our team members are able to get necessary equipment and supplies each day. 


Hurricane Ida-related Resources

  • For FEMA-issued resources and other information, you can visit fema.gov/disaster/hurricane-ida.
  • To apply to for Individual Assistance, go to DisasterAssistance.gov
  • You may also apply for FEMA relief by calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or 1-800-462-7585 (TTY) for the hearing and speech impaired. The toll-free telephone numbers will operate from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. (local time) seven days a week until further notice.
  • For shelter information or other aid, text 'LASHELTER' to 898211, call 2-1-1 or visit: https://www.louisiana211.org/


There When You Need Us Most

We understand that property damage doesn’t happen 9-5 and claims along the Gulf Coast are still occurring. Therefore, our commitment to respond to our partners in all 5 of our locations remains strong.


As always, we are available 24/7, which isn’t just a number, it’s a guarantee. If your property has experienced storm, water, fire or other damage, give our team a call at 1-800-349-HELP (4357), email info@guaranteerestoration.net or visit our website at www.GuaranteeRestoration.com.


Zack Klein

Director of Marketing and Business Development

zack@guaranteerstoration.net

225-268-6939


Zack Klein is the Director of Marketing and Business Development at Guarantee Restoration Services. He celebrated his 7th anniversary with the company in June 2021. To connect with him, visit LinkedIn or send him an email.

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