NOLA.com reports that over a hundred thousand people are still without power due to Hurricane Laura, and many homes have been destroyed or severely damaged. Without power, people are struggling in the heat and humidity, and feel like attention has turned away. The Community Foundation of Southwest Louisiana has a fund for hurricane relief.
California is experiencing it’s worst fire season on record, with over 2 million acres burned and new fires starting in the last few days. There was another heatwave with multiple heat records set over Labor Day weekend. The National Forest Service closed 8 National Forests yesterday, and many states in the west have critical or extreme fire warnings.
Our thoughts are with every person who has been displaced in the past few weeks from storms, weather, and fire, disasters that are clearly enhanced by the climate crisis. We are especially mindful how disasters bring disproportionate harm to communities that already bear the brunt of environmental racism and injustice. The disasters happening now clearly show the need for climate action, and especially for a green, just recovery package.
