Excerpts from wgntv.com:
Nearly 70 firefighters from about 30 different departments will be leaving Tuesday morning and heading to Louisiana to help after Hurricane Ida. They are part of a strike team that will help fill in for other fire departments in Louisiana.
On Tuesday night, about 50 area firefighters returned after spending six days in the New Orleans area. They were part of the Illinois Urban Search and Rescue Team and spent about a week in Louisiana after Hurricane Ida hit.
While they were on the ground they helped people get food, water, and oxygen. They also did a lot of surveying of damage so FEMA and the Red Cross would know where to focus their help. They said damage was widespread and the heat was suffocating.
It could be weeks before power is restored in some areas.
