Displaced by Ida: Low on funds, family of 7 looks for refuge

By LEAH WILLINGHAM
Associated Press/Report for America

For Shelly Savoie, time is running out at the Motel 6 in Bossier City, Louisiana. So are diapers and dollars. Savoie and her family of six fled their home in a New Orleans suburb before powerful Hurricane Ida hit the region on Sunday. But the initial relief she felt at escaping the storm’s destruction has quickly given way to numerous anxieties. The telephone agent for two major retail stores had planned on paying for only three nights in a hotel. But Ida seriously damaged her house and widespread power outages that also affected her parish may not be resolved for weeks. With money running out, she’s afraid her family will be out on the street in a couple of days.