Hurricane Ida was the most intense hurricane on record to strike Louisiana, and it barreled through hundreds of oil and gas facilities. Initial assessments have revealed substantial flooding, chemical flares, and oil spills from a handful of refineries and pipelines, but these reports only scratch the surface of petrochemical destruction. In the wake of Hurricane Ida, oil and gas companies may try to hide their damage and resulting toxic impacts on neighboring communities, predominantly made up of low-income Black, Brown and Indigenous groups. This pattern is not new. Hurricanes Katrina, Harvey, and Laura triggered chemical fires, toxic releases, and oil spills in the Gulf Coast, causing irreversible injury to the health and homes of nearby communities.
Healthy Gulf is fighting for justice for our coastal and river parishes who are struggling to rebuild after Hurricane Ida while continuing to be harmed by petrochemical damage. That’s why we have partnered with Cartosco.pe to launch Hurricane Ida Damage Lookout, a movement that trains citizens to look at aerial photos on their own computers or phones and identify damage to the 600+ facilities in the path of Hurricane Ida. When you participate in a Lookout project from your computer, you will help us recognize three types of Hurricane Ida impacts: flooded petrochemical and oil and gas facilities, oil spills, and burning (flaring) of potentially hazardous gases.
While climate change intensifies storms in the Gulf and our wetlands become more vulnerable, the Biden Administration is continuing to allow new oil petrochemical projects in Hurricane Alley. You can support Louisiana communities and speak out against the oil and gas industry by completing a Hurricane Ida Damage Lookout project today. The evidence you uncover will pressure government officials to hold oil and gas industries accountable and show President Biden that the time to ban new petrochemical infrastructure is now.
