They can include headache, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, weakness, chest pain and altered mental status. The agency is advising doctors in the hurricane zone to pay attention to symptoms that could be related to CO poisoning. “If used or placed improperly, these sources can lead to CO (carbon monoxide) buildup inside buildings, garages, or campers and poison the people and animals inside," the CDC said. The storm has knocked out power to thousands of homes and businesses and people could turn to “alternate power sources such as gasoline generators and may use propane or charcoal grills for cooking,” the CDC said. “But we know that Lake Charles is going to come through this and that we’ll be stronger than ever.The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a Health Alert Network advisory Thursday warning of the risks of carbon monoxide poisoning in the aftermath of Hurricane Laura, which slammed into the Louisiana coast early Thursday as a powerful Category 4 storm. “We know that the rebuilding process will take a lot of time,” he said. The immediate needs of the community are still essential supplies: Generators, water, meals that are easy to transport, according to Patel. Some of Patel’s restaurants have opened again with a limited menu and hours. With restaurants slowly opening back up, he said he wants to give his employees an opportunity to still make money while serving meals to those in need. Patel said he has about 400-500 employees at those eight Lake Charles locations and estimates 90-95% of them evacuated ahead of Laura.įor employees who did come back, Patel said he’s offered to give them time and a half pay and housing for those whose homes were damaged.Ī McDonald’s spokesperson told CNN the McRigs are typically used for disaster relief and community events.Įven though they’re not operating the McRig anymore, there’s still a lot of work to be done within the community, Patel said. He said his Lake Charles locations were the most affected and remain closed because they don’t have power or running water and there’s severe building damage. Patel owns and operates 25 McDonald’s in Louisiana, eight of which are in Lake Charles and surrounding areas. “It was just really neat to see the whole family aspect, of how we’ve always said we’re like a family and it just really came to life during such a tragedy,” he said.
The next day, the kitchen on wheels arrived from Kentucky.įor six days, Patel and his staff offered brown bag meals to the Lake Charles community. Patel’s quick thinking prompted him to call McDonald’s corporate office just one day after Laura made landfall in hopes of receiving a self-sustained mobile kitchen known as the McRig. “It’s so much worse than what you’re seeing on social media.”Īnd without running water or electricity, having fresh, warm meals would have been difficult. “Pictures don’t do it (destruction) justice,” he said. Patel estimates 90% of residents are still without electricity and running water, even two weeks after landfall. The storm left six people dead in Louisiana, including at least four from falling trees. Laura, the strongest hurricane to strike the state of Louisiana since 1856, deprived many of their basic necessities, damaged homes and businesses, knocked down power lines and caused flooding in some areas.
Within 24 hours, a restaurant on wheels arrived in Lake Charles to help feed families in need of a hot meal. The day after Hurricane Laura rolled through parts of Louisiana and Texas, Rikesh Patel, the owner of several McDonald’s in Louisiana, made a call to corporate.
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