KILLEEN, Texas — Many people in Louisiana are still without power, food, or even shelter as the cleanup continues from Hurricane Ida's initial impact. 6 News has been following the devastation the category 4 hurricane has brought to the region and many people from our community are doing their part to help our neighbors in need.
Brandon Martin is the owner of several Krab Kingz locations in Central Texas. He has plans to expand his business in New Orleans, so when Hurricane Ida hit, Martin and his friend Jonathan Hildner knew they had to help.
"Being that it is going to be another community we serve, we want to do our part to for the community," said Martin.
The two took a boat and hit the water to search the area to help as many people as they could.
"With us going down there and seeing how fast things changed for us we kind of felt their pain," said Martin.
The pair was supposed to be in Louisiana for 48 hours but with no ATMs, electricity and with the severity of the damage cause by the storm they could only stay for eight hours.
"We realized there was no diesel or fuel within 200 miles of New Orleans. We took cash out there and we ran out of the cash we had. We couldn’t get any food," said Martin.
Many Central Texans have been sent to aid the people of Louisiana including the Killeen, Waco and Hewitt fire departments. They are assisting fire stations and handing out food and water to residents impacted by the storm.
Martin said the experience is one he will always remember but he has some advice for anyone who plans to take a trip to help.
“You have to go prepared with fuel, gas tanks, water and food. If not, you will get stuck down there."
Local churches are also stepping in to help. Antioch Waco sent their first wave of Ida relief teams on Thursday. They will be teaming up with Antioch Baton Rouge to serve the community that has been devastated by the storm.