PETROLEUM DIRECTORY: Rain for Rent works to dewater New Orleans in wake of hurricane

Petroleum News

In New Orleans the water surge and severe wind from Hurricane Katrina caused large sections of the 17th Street Canal levee to wash away allowing water from Lake Pontchatrain to rush into the city destroying homes, businesses and lives. When emergency crews realized the city would need to be drained they made a call to Rain for Rent to provide pumps, pipe, filtration and tanks, the company said Sept. 12.

Water had to be pumped back into the several canals which run between the river and the lake. Rain for Rent’s Strategic Emergency Response Team began handling logistics and responding to the contractor’s needs, supplying them with pumps and tanks.

Rain for Rent said it was honored to help in the relief efforts by providing submersible hydraulic (19,000 gallons per minute), DV 400( 14,000 gpm) and smaller pumps throughout the region. Many tanks were also provided by the company to store fuel and waste water.

“Filtration and spillguard containment systems have been mobilized for environmentally sensitive applications. Over 50 Rain for Rent branches and 850 employees across the nation are working together to help restore what has been damaged by Hurricane Katrina,” the company said.

Rain for Rent sales representative Mark Ippolito said, “There is total devastation in this area. Never have I seen anything that bad, and I hope to never see it again. To be part of the recovery and to help in the process of emptying the city of water … I take a lot of pride in that. I’m proud to represent Rain for Rent and help my city.”

Nick Ferris, manager of the Rain for Rent branch in Baton Rouge, acknowledges that the devastation in New Orleans will not be cleared away for a very long time – in the meantime, he said, priorities are to take care of employees and see that they remain safe, and to continue providing customers with excellent services that exceed their expectations.

Rain for Rent has provided pumps, pipe, filtration and liquid storage equipment through 50 branch locations across the nation for more than 71 years.

The company can be contacted via 800-742-7246, [email protected] or visit our web page at www.rainforrent.com.