The Cajun Navy

During the relief efforts for people trapped by the flood waters of Hurricane Harvey, my friend JK and his wife went down to assist.  JK was assigned to a fire fighter relief unit, and his wife joined The Cajun Navy.

For those who don’t know, The Cajun Navy is a volunteer group out of Louisiana, comprising of private boat owners who assist in search and rescue efforts in Louisiana and adjacent areas.  This group was originally formed in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and reactivated again in the aftermath of the floods stemming from Hurricane Harvey.  They are credited with rescuing thousands of people during these disasters.  After Hurricane Harvey, they came over with their bass boats and jonboats, put into the worst of the flooded streets and neighborhoods, and rescued people that the “official” units could not or would not get to.  It is estimated that they actually rescued hundreds of people a day over the course of two weeks.

I wanted to take a moment to applaud and appreciate the volunteer efforts of ordinary citizens, like The Cajun Navy, for all that they do to help in the wake of natural disasters.  Without their efforts thousands of people might die or be stranded, waiting for “official” units to find them.  Their efforts are selfless and pass without awards, praise of heroism, or in some cases recognition at all.  So, this blog post is devoted to saying “Thank You.”  You are all heroes in my book.