The 2020 Atlantic hurricane season has already made history as the second- most-active season on record. As I write this, Hurricane Sally is less than 24 hours from landfall along the Gulf Coast.
It has been three weeks since Tropical Storm Marco quietly came ashore, followed closely by Hurricane Laura, the strongest hurricane to hit Louisiana. Laura ripped through southwestern Louisiana and pummeled communities as far north as Shreveport and Ruston. Tens of thousands of residents in the Lake Charles area are still living in temporary shelters across Louisiana and Texas in mid-September, and full restoration of water and electricity is expected to take weeks. Our hearts go out to all of those who have lost so much in the wake of this deadly storm and others that may follow.
Throughout this hurricane season and the seasons before it, LMOGA and our members have worked diligently to ensure the safety of our employees, the environment and our communities for when storms set their sights on coastal Louisiana. Safety is always our highest priority.
Seventeen percent of the nation's refining capacity is located in the Lake Charles area and along the Mississippi River between Baton Rouge and New Orleans. The strategic locations of these critical production and refining facilities also puts them at higher risk of storm damage.
That's why Louisiana's oil and gas industry develops detailed hurricane preparedness plans before storms enter the Gulf -- evacuation and response plans for offshore and onshore drilling rigs and production platforms, pipelines, storage terminals and refineries. Plans are updated and improved year-round, and planning meetings are held with local, state and federal government agencies before and after the storm season. These efforts protect employees and nearby residents, minimize the impact to facilities and the environment, and reduce recovery time so operations can safely and quickly resume once the threat has passed.
Maintaining a reliable supply of fuel before and after a storm is, in fact, critical for everyone's safety. Careful planning allows Louisiana's oil and gas industry to provide fuel for citizen evacuations, as well as emergency operations, hospitals and essential infrastructure. After a storm, the safe and speedy resumption of operations fuels recovery operations to maintain our nation's energy supply. LMOGA and our industry partners work closely with state and federal emergency officials, local emergency managers, fuel transporters and local retail service stations to make sure consumers have access to the fuel they need to return home and begin cleanup.
The oil and gas industry also depends on human energy, which is fueled by the powerful love and concern we have for the communities we call home. LMOGA is proud of its members who have gone above and beyond to help victims of Hurricane Laura return to southwest Louisiana and rebuild.
As of mid-September, oil and gas companies have donated over $3.4 million to nonprofit organizations, including Community Foundation of Southwest Louisiana, the United Way of Southwest Louisiana, Second Harvest Food Bank and the American Red Cross to provide food, clothing, medical assistance, housing, building supplies and other critical services to local residents. Industry has also contributed fuel and water for first responders, organized volunteer cooking teams to provide hot meals, and set up matching gift programs for employees, just to name a few initiatives.
The 2020 hurricane season will be remembered as one of the most active and destructive on record. LMOGA and its members will continue to strengthen our hurricane preparedness and response plans for the future to ensure the safety and recovery of our employees, environment and communities.
For more information about Louisiana's oil and gas industry and LMOGA's work to protect and grow the industry, visit www.lmoga.com or call (225) 387-3205.
