Chamber Southwest Louisiana

Starting Over after Hurricane Rita

Sitting on the Gulf of Mexico and Texas border, the communities of Holly Beach, Hackberry, and Cameron in Louisiana's Cameron Parish were essentially destroyed after 15-foot storm surges hit the coastal area community. In Calcasieu Parish, the communities of Lake Charles, Moss Bluff, Sulphur, Westlake, and Vinton, which account for nearly 40 percent of the region's population, suffered heavy damage.

The Program

Within 10 working days following the onslaught of Hurricane Rita, the Chamber SWLA, working in cooperation with the Southwest Louisiana Partnership for Economic Development as well as local, state,and federal departments, opened the Business Recovery Assistance Center in Lake Charles to serve all of southwest Louisiana. The Center called on every member of the Chamber SWLA to assess their damage and found that 63 percent had suffered damage, 21percent with severe damage.

Working with the Louisiana Economic Development Department, the Louisiana Small Business Development Center of McNeese State University, the Small Business Administration, and the Service Corps of Retired Executives, the Center provided assistance to the region's business owners. The Center handled more than 2,000 calls and 1,200 walk-ins, assisting with 360 grant applications and 350 SBA loans in just the first few days of operation. The Chamber SWLA also provided computers and access to telephones, fax machines, copiers, and other office equipment to displaced business owners, managers, and other professionals wishing to maintain operations remotely.

In the year following the storm, the Chamber SWLA had to shift its focus from building southwest Louisiana into an economically diverse and developing region to rebuilding and revitalizing our region through a series of programs, projects, and alliances with other organizations. It has been a long process, but one that has reinforced the role of the Chamber SWLA in helping communities return to health and vibrancy.

The Impact

The region pulled together in an unprecedented manner, providing assistance, advice, and workshops for the damaged business community. Within months, life had returned to a semblance of normalcy and the companies, organizations, and government systems of southwest Louisiana got back to business.

The Difference

At BCLC's March 2007 forum on lessons learned about disaster recovery, Federal Gulf Coast Rebuilding Coordinator Donald E. Powell said southwest Louisiana "has an independent streak and independent spirit with a can-do attitude that says, 'Yeah, it was terrible, but we're going to get back.' Their spirit and determination is mighty strong. They had a great plan for how they were going to recover. They are an inspiration to me, frankly. The best thing I can do is get out of the way."

The Lesson Learned

After Hurricane Katrina devastated the southeast portion of Louisiana, the Chamber SWLA created a Disaster Planning Guide that was used only weeks after its inception. A template of the guide used was made available to the Chamber SWLA membership as a pattern for setting up their own disaster planning guides. The Chamber SWLA also created and distributed the "D.A.N.G.E.R." pamphlet, which walked members through the process of planning for a disaster-related work stoppage, evacuation, and return plans. This pamphlet was mailed to every member of the Chamber SWLA and was made available to the public.

Hurricane Rita brought about a spirit of regional cooperation never before seen in our area. All public, nonprofit, and civic service entities worked together to ensure the lives, property, and livelihoods of the residents of southwest Louisiana.

Since the storm, this spirit of cooperation still exists to address economic development endeavors in light of favorable federal and state incentives stemming from Hurricane Rita. As a region, we held our breath as Rita came ashore on September 24, 2005. We helped our neighbors in the days after, and extended our hopes and hands to those in areas devastated by the storm. We have learned that as a region we are resilient, hard-working, and able to recover from any disaster by working together and adapting to new challenges.

Why the Chamber SWLA Is Involved

The Chamber SWLA takes seriously the call to represent the business community of southwest Louisiana before policy decision-makers at all levels of government, and we work daily to strengthen the public-private partnership necessary for successful and sustainable economic prosperity in our region. This banner hung at the reopening of the Cameron Parish Courthouse, one of the few buildings left standing in Cameron, La.

For more information, please visit: http://www.chamberswla.org/

Additional Corporate Citizenship Programs in BCLC's Disaster Recovery Report

Chamber SWLA's Partners:

Louisiana Economic Development Department

Louisiana Small Business Development Center of McNeese State University 

U.S. Small Business Administration

Service Corps of Retired Executives