In August of 2016, an unnamed storm surprised the communities of South Louisiana, pummeling them with 33 inches of rain in three days. The residual flooding damaged 143,000 homes, leaving tens of thousands of people homeless or in shelters.

With nowhere to go and the majority without flood insurance, victims looked to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for assistance in disaster recovery and the rebuilding efforts. The government organized recovery effort was appalling, leaving many residents feeling dismissed and forgotten.

But among the dwindling hope, the people of Louisiana banded together to form several grassroots organizations to feed, shelter, clothe and rebuild the forgotten survivors. These self proclaimed “coon asses” created a association of groups known as the Cajun Nations, with an infrastructure that soon rivaled and outperformed multibillion dollar government agencies.