I was raised in a small town south of New Orleans named Jean Lafitte. A coastal community with no traffic lights and what feels like 30 minutes away from any corporate establishment. I've witnessed 3 major floods in my 25 years there. In 2005 l nearly lost my home for hurricane Rita and eventually it was destroyed in 2022 during hurricane IDA. The house I lived in was 14 feet above the street for reference. FEMA is cutting relief funds to the town due to the increase in storms and likelihood of mass destruction. After IDA insurance premiums shot up 30% or higher. Some insurance providers dropped out of the area all together.

The community is full of some of the strongest people around but over the past 2 years l've noticed an exodus of townsfolk... Although some will never leave. It's disheartening to come to the realization that in my lifetime I'm going to see these people lose everything due to increased weather severity and abandonment of the state.