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Hurricane Laura evacuees return home in time for the holidays

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For the first time since Hurricane Laura, a Calcasieu Parish family has returned home just in time for the holidays.

Back in August the Brown family evacuated to Acadiana, making St. Landry Parish a temporary home in the aftermath of both Hurricanes Laura and Delta.

While it's been a rough few months, the family is finally back home and regaining some sense of normalcy for the first time since the storms.

After being away from home nearly three months, the Brown family were able to return back to Calcasieu in time for the holidays.

"It was different leaving home but it felt better when I came back."

This is the first time Joseph Brown is back in Iowa since August. The high school junior lived in Opelousas with relatives away from his mother.

"I went from seeing my mom everyday and then when I moved to Opelousas, it was different because I'd see her once every week but now we're back together in Iowa and I now we see each other 24/7 again, Brown added.

Joseph and his mother returned to Iowa just in time for Thanksgiving.

"It was emotional. We had a little party when I came back. All my family came and they cooked,” Brown continued.

While some areas in his hometown are unrecognizable, Brown says being around family makes all the difference as they continue to cope with the aftermath of the storms.

"I'm grateful for coming back home to a place where I can live because some people don't have places where they can live and I'm grateful to see my people again,” said Brown.

Brown will return back to Iowa High School after Thanksgiving break.

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