LAKE CHARLES, La. (KLFY)-- Four years ago Hurricane Laura made landfall and changed southwest Louisiana and parts of Acadiana forever.

Hurricane Laura made landfall around midnight on Aug. 27, 2020, damaging 21 parishes. Lake Charles is still recovering.

Lake Charles Mayor Nic Hunter said it was a team effort for Lake Charles to get back to where it is now.

"Anytime you go through a natural disaster, the likes of which we went through, it really takes a team effort to come back," Hunter said.

The city is making improvements to the wastewater system, electrical grid, fiber and broadband options, economic development and housing. Hunter said Lake Charles is seeing a returning population and businesses reopening. He said, in about six months, they'll have more housing units in Lake Charles than the city had pre-Laura.

"I'm very proud of the team that's come together. It truly is a public private partnership. It's members of government, but it's also a private industry," Hunter said. "Over the last four years, I am very proud of that remarkable recovery story."

Industries like FEMA have helped the city in its resiliency and recovery since the category four hurricane.

"We will continue to work with Lake Charles on the projects that they have developed or projects that they need to revise," said FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell. "We'll continue to support them throughout the recovery process."

Hunter thanks those from Acadiana who helped Lake Charles in the aftermath of Hurricane Laura.

"I love our neighbors to the west and the east. After Hurricane Laura hit, Lafayette, the community showed up in droves to help us," Hunter said.

"I will forever love the community of Lafayette and really the entire state of Louisiana, because we had people from all over coming to help us. This state really comes together to help people in need," he continued.

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