Dear John,

On the 16th Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, we witnessed yet another monster hurricane slam into the Gulf Coast, leaving more than one million people without power and untold thousands without access to their homes.

And the remnants of the storm have battered communities as far as New York and New England, with record rainfall inundating roads and homes and tragically claiming lives.

I live in Louisiana, and while my family and I are safe, we are among the many who are living through the very real and growing threats of climate change.

We still don’t know the full scope of the damage. But there is no question that entire communities, especially areas plagued with historic environmental injustice and failing infrastructure, are in desperate need of support and face a long, arduous recovery.

If you’re able to help, here is a list of local organizations providing direct support to frontline communities:

Hurricane Ida Relief-Fund for Louisiana: Proceeds to the Hurricane Ida Relief Fund will support immediate relief efforts and long-term rebuilding and community grants to assist with disaster recovery. [link removed]

Lowlander Center: The Lowlander Center supports lowland communities and places, both inland and coastal, for the benefit of both people and environment. [link removed]

United Houma Nation: The United Houma Nation is composed of very proud and independent people who have close ties to the water and land of their ancestors. [link removed]

Second Harvest Foodbank: Second Harvest Food Bank leads the fight against hunger in South Louisiana by providing food access, advocacy, education, and disaster response. [link removed]

Imagine Water Works Mutual Aid Response Network: Focusing on climate justice, water management, and disaster readiness and response, providing resources that keep people more safe before, during, and after both natural and manmade disasters. [link removed]

Whatever you can do in this time of need is greatly appreciated.

Climate Extremes Becoming the Norm

Packing sustained winds up to 150 mph, Hurricane Ida came ashore as one of the most intense hurricanes in Louisiana history and the fifth-strongest ever to hit the mainland.

Tragically, life-threatening, climate-fueled disasters are becoming the norm, putting communities across the country and around the world at greater risk.

As a recent United Nations report made clear, every part of the planet is confronting climate change while our families, businesses and nature itself pay the price. Last year saw a record number of billion-dollar natural disasters in the U.S.

But as the report also makes clear, there is a path to slow this extreme weather devastation if we work together and act with determination to advance bold climate action. Every fraction of a degree matters.

While we lend whatever support we can to help those in harm’s way, we must redouble our efforts to slash climate pollution and invest in natural climate solutions to help mitigate the risk and provide critical protections to communities on the frontlines of climate change.

My family and I are fortunate but many are not. Thank you so much for whatever you can do to help those in Ida’s path. And thanks as always for standing with us to help fight climate change. Your support is more important than ever.

Sincerely,
Steve Cochran
Associate Vice President, State Affairs
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