GREENSBORO, N.C. — Un-survivable is how the National Weather Service described Hurricane Laura.
The storm left the Gulf Coast in widespread devastation.
Triad volunteers are there to save lives.
The Greensboro fire department's swift water rescue team arrived in Louisiana, Thursday.
They'll use boats and other equipment to rescue people from flooded homes.
To help destroyed communities, disaster relief organization Samaritans Purse director Bruce Poss said they loaded up trucks in North Carolina and headed to Louisiana.
“We're prepared to do flood recovery and it looks like we're going to be doing some chainsaw work and tarping roofs temporarily,” Poss said.
Four of their volunteers are from the Triad.
“We get to get face to face with the homeowner who has had their home damaged and we help them to know the next step,” Poss said. “Many times they're in a state of shock not knowing what to do.”
While Samaritans Purse is rolling up their sleeves, the Billy Graham Response Team is offering a shoulder to lean on.
“What our chaplains do is we offer a listening ear,” said Billy Graham assistant director Josh Holland. “We're available to pray with folks, to share that even in the toughest of times there's a God who loves them.”
Holland said their ministry has adapted during the pandemic.
They're requiring masks and mandatory coronavirus tests.
“We have about 10 that will be there sometime this weekend,” Holland said. “The negative COVID-19 test is delaying things because it takes time to get results back.”
To help restore power to homes and businesses, Duke Energy has sent 400 contractors from the Carolina's to the gulf coast, where hundreds of thousands have lost electricity.
Samaritans Purse will open phone lines for homeowners in Louisiana to request help later this week.
Volunteers said they won't leave until every work order is complete.
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