Home sharing platform Airbnb’s disaster response program has kicked in for Louisiana residents displaced by ‘epic’ flooding with the company waiving all service fees for stays until September 4.
Additionally, the company is prominently displaying listings by hosts offering space in their home for free to stranded Louisiana residents.
All hosts offering free accommodations get the same access to Airbnb’s customer support, Host Guarantee and other services, the company said.
The response program has been initiated during other major weather-related disasters such as Colorado during severe flooding, and wildfires in Southern California.
The program came about following the devastation of Hurricane Sandy in 2012.
The US government declared many parts of Louisiana a major disaster zone following torrential rain which has killed at least seven people.
"We won’t know the death toll for sure for several more days," Gov. John Bel Edwards said.
There are a reported 10,000 people holed up in shelters.
"I have traveled to affected areas and have seen the destruction caused by this unprecedented flooding. This is an ongoing event, and we are confident that every available state and federal resource will be brought to bear," Edwards added.
