Going through Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath in New Orleans was significant for us on many levels. On a personal level, most of our family and friends were seriously affected, displaced, and at a loss. On a professional level, our client in New Orleans was hit on every level: facilities were submerged and damaged, offices were out of commission for months, staff of over 1,100 had lost everything.
We were fortunate to be able to support our client with quick response and resources, being on the ground two weeks after to help assess utility systems for damage. This started the long process of recovery and restoration that continues today. It also started a long process of full-time, intensive training on disaster recovery activities and funding, as well as many lessons learned on how to better respond. We were involved with numerous recovery efforts from sewer, water, drainage and roads to safe house construction and years of debris removal.
Coming out on the other end nearly seven years later, we look back on the experiences we gained during this period and are awed by the far-reaching effects that this one event has had on so many people. As Trigon, we continue to provide disaster recovery services to our clients in the south Louisiana area, and help others through with the experience and knowledge gained through this time. Although we could not have possibly imagined or planned for this new area of expertise, it is with pride that we provide these services to our clients as they continue to progress through their recovery efforts.