In New Orleans East, a 78-year-old homeowner is watching her life get picked apart twice - first by a collapsing tree, then by strangers.
On May 20, a termite-eaten oak crashed through the roof of her house, crushing much of the structure and leaving her belongings wide open to the weather. By the next day, she told reporters, people had come back and helped themselves to toiletries, a brand-new window air-conditioning unit and sentimental items. She is left trying to recover on a fixed Social Security income with no insurance to cover repairs.
According to WWL‑TV, the homeowner is identified as Betty Daggons, who became a first-time homeowner in 2020. She is also living with a heart ailment, adding a serious health concern on top of the physical destruction. The station reports that volunteers and local groups have scrambled to help and that a fundraiser has been set up to cover her immediate needs.
Immediate Relief And Where To Turn
While neighbors and local volunteers rally on the ground, the American Red Cross Louisiana Region is one of the main disaster relief groups offering emergency help for residents dealing with storm damage or collapsed structures. The organization lists a regional hotline and online information for people in need of food, shelter and basic supplies. Residents looking for official guidance can check the American Red Cross Louisiana Region for contact numbers and details on how volunteers are coordinating short-term aid.
Looting And Damage In New Orleans East
The alleged theft from Daggons' damaged home is not an isolated kind of story in New Orleans East. When homes are busted open and exposed, word tends to travel fast for all the wrong reasons. Previous incidents in the area have led to arrests, including cases where people were accused of taking equipment and supplies from compromised properties. Reporting by WDSU highlighted earlier looting arrests in the neighborhood, underscoring how quickly a damaged home can become a target once it is no longer secure.
Volunteers Clear Debris And Plan Cleanup
On the other side of the story are the locals who show up with chainsaws, tarps and time. Volunteer crews, including a Southern Baptist disaster response team, have stepped in to help remove the massive fallen oak so Daggons can safely reach what is left of her home, WWL‑TV reports. Neighbors say they have been bringing supplies and checking on her health while organizers try to piece together a plan for longer-term repairs and replacement of essential items.
What Is Next For The Homeowner
Daggons' most urgent needs are straightforward and daunting: safe shelter, medicine and replacement of basic household supplies. Neighbors and volunteers are urging donations through the fundraiser noted in local reporting to help cover those immediate gaps.
Police have been notified about the reported thefts, and investigations are ongoing. Authorities and local organizers are asking anyone with information or anyone hoping to help to coordinate through established relief groups or the New Orleans Police Department's non-emergency lines. The goal is to get aid to Daggons without adding new safety risks to an already unstable property.
