As I was evacuating for Hurricane Ida, my spirits were understandably low as I wondered what my family and I would be coming home to. Leaving New Orleans, I took one last look at the skyline and hoped we would not return to anything resembling Katrina. 
I was surely not the only one with these worries sitting in the bumper-to-bumper traffic on I-10. yet, as thousands of cars lined the roads to get away from Hurricane Ida, a trickle of cars drove past in the opposite direction. 
Who would be heading into southeast Louisiana right now, with a massive storm just hours away? As the cars got closer, I realized these were not just plain cars—they were trucks filled with linemen ready to help Louisiana as soon as the storm had passed. 
I felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude for these brave workers. Linemen from several different companies and states all over the U.S. were putting themselves in harm’s way to put the lights back on for the hundreds of thousands of people in southeast Louisiana. It was not only “neighbor helping neighbor,” but “state helping state.”
The linemen who came into town were faced with immense challenges. Beyond the usual risks of electrocution and falling from dangerous heights, they had to battle extreme heat as they repaired 30,679 power poles—more than were knocked down in Louisiana and Mississippi than during hurricanes Katrina, Ike, Delta and Zeta combined.
Despite these challenges, the linemen have managed to get electricity back to thousands of Louisianans. Their progress is remarkable, but it should not hinder the fact that people are still struggling and there is much to be done. 
The news cycle may have moved on and the cameras may be leaving, but by no means does this mean the devastation has stopped.
I think I speak for many in the state when I say how thankful I am for the first responders, linemen and all the organizations from across the country that were in Louisiana before the storm, during the storm and are still here weeks later. Your help and generosity are so appreciated. Thank you for helping us when we needed it most. 
All of you are a ray of sunshine during this rainy time for our state. Louisiana is known for her resiliency, and we will get through this, just like we always do—neighbor helping neighbor, and state helping state. 
Elizabeth Crochet is a 20-year-old political communication junior from New Orleans.