Houston rapper and activist Trae Tha Truth and DJ Mr. Rogers are helping families in Lake Charles, Louisiana, get back on their feet after Hurricane Laura.
The duo took their Relief Gang volunteers to the hurricane-ravaged area on Wednesday, Sept. 2, just days after Hurricane Laura touched down on Aug. 27, 2020. Trae Tha Truth and DJ Mr. Rogers created Relief Gang in 2017 after Hurricane Harvey. This volunteer-based group prides itself on providing relief to families in Trae’s hometown of Houston, Texas, and other surrounding areas who are in need.
The Category 4 storm that left its mark on Lake Charles in August 2020 was deemed “unsurvivable.” The 150 mph winds ravaged through the streets snapping power lines, ripping the roofs off buildings and leaving thousands without power and a place to live.
According to Corelogic, the storm is estimated to have caused anywhere from $8 to $12 billion in damages to Louisiana and Texas.
Dianna Ross, director of Community Affairs at Lake Charles’ SWLA Center for Health Services, said it’s going to take a lot of time and effort for the community of Lake Charles to rebuild after the storm’s devastation. “The recovery effort is not going to be a one-month, two-month recovery. It’s going to be a year, two years. We have businesses in Lake Charles that were totally destroyed.”
Relief Gang volunteers cut down trees, cleaned properties, passed out water and offered a helping hand. Trae says they will continue to make weekly trips to Louisiana and do their best to reverse the damage, one home at a time.
“Relief Gang, we are one and we won’t stop,” Trae said. “I don’t see us stopping unless something happens to one of us, and God forbid that happen. I think He is protecting us right now because we doing the work He sent us to do.”
Trae and DJ Mr. Rogers also set up a GoFundMe account to raise $100,000 that will go directly to victims of Hurricane Laura.
“There is no separation of the classes when disaster hits,” said DJ Mr. Rogers. “Disasters don’t decide I’m going to hit this poor area or I’m going to hit this rich area.”
