Farmer Paul Johnson of Bell City, La., had a good rice crop harvested long before Hurricane Laura hit the Louisiana coast on Aug. 27.
He stored his grain at a dryer facility in Thornwell, La., but the storm blew parts of the roof away, exposing his rice to rain. Without electricity, he was not able to dry the grain.
But the Supreme Rice Mill of Crowley, La., was prepared for the catastrophe, renting generators for farmers in anticipation of the disaster and providing workers to help farmers make repairs on their bins and get the generators connected to their electrical system.
These photos by Bruce Schultz of LSU AgCenter provide a look at the damage and the response.
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<p>Farmers work to get a generator connected at the bins holding part of Jordan Aguillard’s rice crop near Lake Charles, La.</p>
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<p><span style="color:black">Farmer Jordan Aguillard of Calcasieu Parish, La., makes a phone call for help to get a generator running to dry his rice.</span></p>
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<p>Bell City, La., farmer Paul Johnson photographs a load of his rice leaving a dryer at Thornwell, La. Hurricane Laura blew some of the building’s roof off, exposing his rice, and Johnson is moving his grain inside the structure to prevent it from spoiling.</p>
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<p>Louisiana farmer Paul Johnson gazes up at the roof of a building that was damaged by Hurricane Laura, exposing part of his rice crop to the elements.</p>
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<p><span style="color:black">Rice is exposed in one of three bins holding the rice crop of farmer Jordan Aguillard of Calcasieu Parish, La. In the distance is a train of rail cars knocked over by Hurricane Laura.</span></p>
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<p>A worker from the Supreme Rice Mill uses a lift to inspect a set of bins owned by Sweet Lake Land Co. of Calcasieu Parish, La.</p>