Cajun Navy: The Volunteer Group Providing Hurricane Relief

As the number of natural disasters continues to increase, one organization has made it their mission to save lives. The Cajun Navy Relief is a group of unpaid volunteers that use their personal equipment to provide rescue and relief during natural disasters.

"The Cajun Navy is like a loose conglomerate of people who came together when their neighbors needed help," said Cajun Navy Relief President Shawn Boudreaux. According to Boudreaux, the organization was created after Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans in 2005.

Per to the group's website, "Rescue and relief is our way of sharing our South Louisiana cultural tradition (of neighbors helping neighbors) with people in need across the United States. By integrating civilian volunteers into the Incident Command Structure, we are able to act as a force multiplier for agencies responding to disaster."

The Cajun Navy Relief has conducted multiple rescues since 2016, with the most recent disasters being Hurricanes Laura, Sally, and Delta. Though the group is made up of volunteers, they regularly train to match standards set by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

"Civilians can make a difference, they can do something and accomplish amazing things when they work together," said Boudreaux.

Anyone interested in joining or donating to the Cajun Navy Relief, visit their website here. In addition to information about the group, their website provides helpful links for hurricane information and preparedness.

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