FORT POLK, La. — On Aug. 27, Hurricane Laura made landfall on the southwestern Louisiana Gulf Coast near Cameron as a Category 4 storm, and plowed northward, following U.S. Highway 171, crossing the Joint Readiness Training Center and Fort Polk, before continuing it’s trek to Shreveport and beyond.
At Fort Polk, the storm was still a Category 3 hurricane and left the area without power for weeks, causing destruction to homes, businesses, timber and anything else in its path.
By the end of September, aerial views of Laura’s path still revealed a sea of blue, as tarps seemingly covered most homes, including many on Fort Polk.
Then the unthinkable happened — another hurricane, this one with the name Delta — struck the Louisiana Gulf Coast Oct. 9 and sped north, brushing the eastern edge of Fort Polk with its eyewall, adding to Laura’s destruction and creating some of its own.
That the installation was able to recover from not one but two hurricanes in a span of less than 45 days is a testament to the forward thinking of JRTC and Fort Polk leadership and the tireless efforts of everyone from privates cleaning up debris to commanders accounting for people and property and taking care of those who needed it most.
While the damage left behind by Delta was not as widespread as Laura, it was nonetheless taxing to the already strained installation work force and services. Additional trees and power lines were blown down, power lost and buildings damaged, including some that were being repaired after sustaining damage from Laura.
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