Generation equipment by Red-D-Arc gave power during Hurricane Laura

Red-D-Arc came to the rescue during the storm.

Red-D-Arc Welderentals is a global leader in the manufacture and supply of welding tools and power-generation equipment, renting and selling to a wide international customer base. The company’s portfolio of power generators becomes especially important during emergency situations, such as weather and climate phenomena that knock out power grids over large areas. Here is how the Red-D-Arc team came to the rescue earlier this year, when Hurricane Laura hit the Midwestern and Eastern United States.

Many generators delivered in hours

Hurricane Laura was a destructive Category 4 hurricane that originated from the West African coast and peaked in Louisiana on Aug. 27, before dissipating in Kentucky two days later. The storm killed 77 people, including 42 Americans, and caused more than $14 billion in damage. It was the strongest hurricane to make landfall in Louisiana on record.

As a result of the storm, power was out in late August and early September for more than 500,000 people in the U.S., with an estimated three to five weeks to restore it. In response, the Red-D-Arc crew set up generator-powered, air-conditioned tents to provide local utilities employees with meals. The company also supplied generators for power requirements for local businesses such as restaurants, casinos, and fabrication shops.

Other members of the company’s South West Region team worked tirelessly to mobilize generators for all segments requiring them. Red-D-Arc representative Michael Stevens and other supporting personnel delivered more than 100 generators in mere hours to affected areas. Another company rep, Dave Kendrick, and his team succeeded in preparing the Red-D-Arc Lake Charles building before the hurricane landing. As a result of their efforts, working late into the night, this building sustained far less damage than many nearby structures did.

This is not the first time that Red-D-Arc Welderentals has been of valuable assistance in an emergency like this. More than four years before Hurricane Laura, a flood-recovery company contacted Red-D-Arc’s Chicago branch when they required onsite power during a flood. The team quickly deployed several mobile power generators to the site to power up the restoration firm right away.

For more information, contact Red-D-Arc.

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