In 2020, it seems like every week a new storm is on its way to wreak havoc on the Gulf Coast. The storms have been particularly hard on fishermen, whose supplies and livelihoods have been devastated. In the aftermath of Hurricane Laura, Texas Sea Grant joined other Texas and Louisiana groups to provide supplies and food to fishermen of Cameron Parish in Louisiana at the Oct. 5 Feed the Fleet event.

Cameron Parish, near the Texas border, is where many fishermen call home and make a living. When Hurricane Laura hit on Aug. 27, the fishermen lost supplies, vessels, and income. Some fishermen even lost their homes, and are now living off their boats with their families.

One of the most pressing needs for these fishermen is fuel. Cameron Parish is expected to be without electricity until next January at least, so many are relying on generators to power their living areas and to keep their businesses running. Local business Tommy’s Seafood has reported spending $400 per day to run a generator to keep their business operating.

The devastation was personal for Nikki Fitzgerald, Texas Sea Grant agent for Jefferson and Chambers Counties, who jumped into action. “I know what it is like to come back after a hurricane, and the only thing that is left is the front door steps,” she said. “I watched our family farm be destroyed in few hours when Hurricane Ike did the same to our area not so many years ago.”

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By Sara Carney '13, communications manager, Texas Sea Grant

Photos by: David Oates, Doreen Badeaux, and Father Sinclair Oubre