Following its path through the Windward Islands and into the Gulf of Mexico, Hurricane Beryl made landfall on the U.S. shoreline in Texas, prompting forecasters to urge residents to evacuate to avoid the intense winds and potentially deadly storm surge.
Mercy Chefs is a group that responds to disaster areas to provide meals and support to those affected while rebuilding efforts and power restoration take place.
Raymond LeBlanc, a community engagement manager for Mercy Chefs, highlights power outages as a major challenge in the aftermath of a disaster. Communities often struggle to refrigerate food or cook during the critical hours and days following the event.
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LeBlanc mentions that Mercy Chefs has provided around 10,000 meals in the initial days following the storm, operating out of Houston with multiple locations to assist Gulf of Mexico communities in their recovery amidst the summer heat. He anticipates serving approximately 20,000 meals by the end of Thursday.
Since its establishment over 18 years ago, Mercy Chefs has served over 25 million meals.
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Beryl arrived during a period of extreme heat waves in various regions, exacerbating the challenges faced by those impacted. LeBlanc reflects on the significance of providing a shared meal to individuals who have experienced loss and hardship following the storm.
Hurricane Beryl initially struck the Windward Islands as a Category 5 storm before moving through the Caribbean. Mercy Chefs is also extending their meal services to assist affected residents in these areas as they focus on rebuilding and restoring power.
LeBlanc notes the difficulties faced by teams in delivering supplies to islands like Grenada due to the extensive damage to infrastructure caused by the storm.
