Hurricane Ida Disaster Recovery and Program Management

On Sunday, August 29, 2021 exactly 16 years to the day that Hurricane Katrina devastated Southern Louisiana and much of the Gulf South region, Hurricane Ida made landfall in Port Fourchon, LA as a Category 4 ​hurricane with top winds of 150 mph​ – a tie for the fifth strongest hurricane to ever hit the mainland U.S. While the state worked to quickly wrap up power restoration, many residents who had excessive damage to their home or lost it entirely were still without proper shelter. The need for a Hurricane Ida disaster recovery and program management provider that could quickly develop and implement a plan was critical.

A First-of-its-kind Program for Hurricane Ida Disaster Recovery

In response to the extensive damage caused by Hurricane Ida in Louisiana and the potential for future events, the Louisiana Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (GOHSEP) selected APTIM to manage a first-of-its-kind program which secured appropriate and immediate sheltering for survivors, provided oversight and management of the sheltering options to include Non-Congregate Sheltering (due to the unique circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic), and assisted in the transition to FEMA’s Direct Housing Program as applicable, all while bringing survivors back into their impacted community following a disaster. The “Louisiana Hurricane Ida Sheltering Program”, official program name, was launched successfully on October 4, 2021.

APTIM’s disaster program management scope of work is comprised of three phases:

As of February 2023, the Hurricane Ida disaster recovery non-congregate shelter program has approximately:

• Deployed 5,600+ units
• Sheltered 15,500+ survivors
• Registered 18,000+ survivors
• Performed 19,000+ site inspections
• Managed 28,000+ maintenance calls
• Worked more than 633,000 hours
• Received Triple Zeros for safety

“These numbers are a testament to the dedication of our APTIM team to bringing survivors home. In the aftermath of Hurricane Ida, our people – many of whom were personally impacted by the storm’s devastation – prioritized applying their expertise to developing a program that offered immediate and quality sheltering for those most affected,” said APTIM Disaster Response & Recovery Manager Amy Courville. “The temporary sheltering program is a pride point for APTIM, not only because of its ingenuity and success, but because of the difference we were able to make in the lives of survivors.”

An award-winning industry leader, APTIM provides comprehensive, cost-effective emergency management and disaster services to public and private-sector clients. The performance is backed by more than 40 years of experience, technology, innovation, and in-house capabilities. The company’s global reputation is backed by extensive resources and subject matter expertise needed to assist clients in preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation from all hazards. The APTIM team stands ready before, during, and after any disaster to help clients protect the health and safety of their employees and residents, as well as private and public property.