NEW ORLEANS — On a sunny day in Lake Charles, Louisiana you can still see piles of debris lining the streets. Tuesday, crews were still at work picking up one month after Hurricane Laura hit Southwest Louisiana. Thousands of people who evacuated still don't have homes to come back to and others are living in homes with trees in them.
Video of one home in Lake Charles showed that from the front of the house the damage is not as obvious. The owner showed us the inside where trees fell through the home. Still, every time it rains, they get more water leaking in, even with a tarp on the roof.
The family said they can smell mold in the room where the tree fell through. For now, they stay in the front half of the house until they can get it replaced. They're working with their insurance, but they don't know how long that will be.
"Absolutely astonishing,” said Lake Charles resident Doris Lee. “I have never seen damage like that anywhere and I was here in Audrey. It looked worse than Audrey. I’ve never seen so many trees down, I didn’t know we had that many trees until you see them on the ground, but it was the worst I’ve ever seen."
In Lake Charles there is still a lot of destruction and more work to do but the good news is many people are able to return home. A few businesses have also reopened since most have power again and drinkable running water.
You can donate to help hurricane relief in Lake Charles by visiting the Red Cross at https://www.redcross.org/donate/cm/wwltv-pub.html/