I am due to head down to Covington, LA next Tuesday with my church. We are coordinating w/ a local church there, but we are getting little information. I am wondering about everything. What are the conditions there? Is help needed there? If so, what kind of help?

We are being lead to believe that we will be doing demolition (carpet and drywall removal) and repair of damaged homes. I can get a few more carpenters to come along, but I need to know that these skills are needed. It's one thing for me to head down with my fellow churchgoers, but I don't want to bring skilled tradesmen down and have nothing for them to do since no one is being paid.

Any input on conditions and what needs to be done in the area would be greatly appreciated. This will help us bring the approprate tools and supplies.

We are also bringing food, clothing and so on. Are there any particular needs that we can bring?

Thanks, Andy

I'm in Baton Rouge, not Covington, so I'm not 100% certain of what's going on over there.  However, I did drive over to that area recently.  There is still a lot of damage in that area that needs repairs/reconstruction.  I would venture a guess that any and all additional help would be put to use and appreciated.  That area is getting back on it's feet a bit quicker than N.O., but they are a long way from being back to "normal".  

It would strictly be a personal choice as to whether or not to bring the additional people unpaid.  They would certainly be put to use, but as to how much time/effort they can afford to put forth without pay is a judgement call for them.  

As for items to bring, I believe most of the stores are getting restocked on groceries, etc., so there may not be the need to bring a lot of additional items.  It's more likely they are in need of warm bodies to help with the repairs/reconstruction than donated items, but you may want to confirm this with the local church if you can get any information out of them.  The folks around that area tend to be a lot more resourceful than what was seen in N.O., but right now they just don't have the manpower to make a lot of progress.

Thanks for the reply Vsound: We just had a meeting tonight and we may be working in NO. I guess most of what we'll be doing is removing fallen trees, fixing roofs and such. I have a pretty good idea of wha tools to bring now. For the other guys I'll tell them what I know and let them decide.

What are the laws regarding out of staters (Yankees, no less) bringing guns into the state? I wouldn't pack, but if I am going to be sleeping near the trucks and trailers loaded with tools at night I might feel a little better with the spirit of John Moses Browning under my pillow.

I live in Covington and I have to say that the city is progressing quite rapidly, with cleapup still occuring in isolated areas, but most of the cleapup is completed, next time to move into reconstruction and phone/cable line repair

You are okay bringing in guns as long as you don't CCW without a reciprocal license.  Your car is considered an extension of your home in LA, so you're okay keeping one hidden in your car.