Yahoo News Storm Ida: Second person dies as a million face weeks without power in aftermath of hurricane
Hurricane Ida, the fifth-strongest to ever hit the mainland United States, has finally been downgraded to a tropical storm after spending 16 hours churning across Louisiana in what Joe Biden declared a “major disaster”.
Two people were confirmed dead in the storm’s aftermath, with the death toll expected to rise “considerably”.
Intensifying faster than experts had predicted, the weather system blasted into New Orleans exactly 16 years to the day after the devastating Hurricane Katrina, where it knocked power out across the city, tore off roofs and even reversed the flow of the Mississippi River.
Residents of the Gulf Coast evacuated their homes and businesses were shut down as much of the Louisiana coastline was plunged underwater. The hurricane claimed at least one life, after a tree fell onto a residential property in Baton Rouge.
Louisiana’s governor John Bel Edwards lamented that, “if you had to draw up the worst possible path for a hurricane in Louisiana, it would be something very, very close to what we’re seeing”, warning residents of his state to brace for potentially weeks of recovery.
It was declared a tropical storm on Monday by the National Hurricane Centre, which warned that dangerous storm surges, damaging winds, and flash flooding would continue over portions of southeastern Louisiana and southern Mississippi.
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Pictures capture massive traffic jams as New Orleans residents flee Hurricane Ida
Key Points
Risk of tornadoes and life-threatening floods, officials forecast
Ida claims first victim in Baton Rouge
Power goes out across New Orleans as ‘1 million’ hit by outages
Biden declares major disaster, clearing way for federal aid
Sunday 29 August 2021 12:03 , Tom Batchelor
Good morning and welcome to The Independent’s rolling coverage of Hurricane Ida, which is due to make landfall on Sunday.
Ida set to make landfall on Sunday
Sunday 29 August 2021 12:08 , Tom Batchelor
Category 4 Hurricane Ida is set to make landfall on Sunday, bringing strong winds and heavy rain with the threat of flooding.
By early Sunday Ida was located about 75 miles south of the mouth of the Mississippi River, carrying top sustained winds of 140 mph.
Ida could inflict a life-threatening storm surge, potentially catastrophic wind damage and flooding rainfall, the National Hurricane Center said.
Satellite images show storm's path
Sunday 29 August 2021 12:20 , Tom Batchelor
Ida feared to be worst direct hit hurricane since 1850s
Sunday 29 August 2021 12:35 , Tom Batchelor
John Bel Edwards, Louisiana’s governor, said on Saturday that the storm could be the state’s worst direct hit by a hurricane since the 1850s.
Southern Louisiana is still reeling from the effects of Hurricane Laura from a year ago. The state was also devastated 16 years ago this week by Hurricane Katrina, which killed more than 1,800 people.
But Louisiana is not planning to evacuate hospitals now strained by an influx of Covid-19 patients, Mr Edwards said.
“The implications of having a Category 4 storm while hospitals are full are beyond what we normally contemplate,” Edwards said at a news conference Saturday afternoon.
Officials ordered widespread evacuations of low-lying and coastal areas, jamming highways and leading some gasoline stations to run dry as residents and vacationers fled the seashore.
“This is a powerful and dangerous storm - it is moving faster than we had thought it would be, so we have a little less time to prepare,” said Dr Joseph Kanter, Louisiana’s chief medical official. “There is a lot of Covid out there - there are a lot of risks out there.”
Winds strengthen to 150mph, says hurricane center
Sunday 29 August 2021 12:51 , Tom Batchelor
The US National Hurricane Center has warned that wind speeds are increasing as the storm nears land.
In a release published within the last hour, the agency said: “Reports from a NOAA Hurricane Hunter aircraft indicate that maximum sustained winds have increased to near 150 mph (240 km/h) with higher gusts.” Sustained wind speeds had been given as 140mph until now.
A sustained wind of 82 mph and a gust to 107 mph were also reported at one of the agency’s stations at Pilot’s Station East near Southwest Pass, Louisiana.
As of the 6am CDT @NHC_Atlantic update, #Ida’s sustained winds are now 150mph, with a central pressure of 935mb.
*link to full update: https://t.co/PN4t4ulJzQ?
*Loop from 920pm-540am CDT pic.twitter.com/w0Wg5nzCWq— National Weather Service (@NWS) August 29, 2021
Ida landfall expected around lunchtime
Sunday 29 August 2021 13:04 , Tom Batchelor
#Ida continues to strengthen and is now a very strong Category 4 Hurricane with 150 mph winds. Landfall is expected around lunchtime or just after. pic.twitter.com/Lfh9mH17pk
— The Weather Channel (@weatherchannel) August 29, 2021
Thousands flee approaching storm
Sunday 29 August 2021 13:17 , Tom Batchelor
Homes and businesses board up as streets empty
Sunday 29 August 2021 13:34 , Tom Batchelor
Power cuts expected as storm sweeps through
Sunday 29 August 2021 13:51 , Tom Batchelor
Utilities companies are bringing in extra crews and equipment to deal with expected power losses from the storm.
Joe Biden said he has coordinated with electric utilities and 500 federal emergency response workers were in Texas and Louisiana to respond to Ida.
US energy companies have reduced offshore oil production by 91 per cent and gasoline refiners cut operations at Louisiana plants in the path of the storm. Regional fuel prices have risen in anticipation of production losses and on increased demand due to evacuations.
Coastal and inland oil refineries have also cut production due to the storm. Phillips 66 shut its Alliance plant on the coast in Belle Chasse, while Exxon Mobil Corp cut production at its Baton Rouge, Louisiana, refinery on Saturday.
Ida draws comparisons with Katrina
Sunday 29 August 2021 14:04 , Tom Batchelor
Comparisons to the 29 August 2005 landfall of Hurricane Katrina have been weighing heavily on residents bracing for Ida.
A Category 3 storm, Katrina was blamed for 1,800 deaths as it demolished oceanfront homes in Mississippi and caused levee breaches and catastrophic flooding in New Orleans.
In Saucier, Mississippi, Alex and Angela Bennett spent Saturday afternoon filling sand bags to place around their flood-prone home.
Both survived Katrina, and did not expect Ida to cause nearly as much destruction where they live, based on forecasts.
“Katrina was terrible. This ain’t gonna be nothing,” Alex Bennett said.
“I hate it for Louisiana, but I’m happy for us.”
Ida to hit 'absolute worst place for a hurricane’
Sunday 29 August 2021 14:21 , Tom Batchelor
Meteorologist Jeff Masters, who flew hurricane missions for the government and founded Weather Underground, said Ida is forecast to move through “the just absolute worst place for a hurricane”.
The Interstate 10 corridor between New Orleans and Baton Rouge is a critical hub of the nation’s petrochemical industry, lined with oil refineries, natural gas terminals and chemical manufacturing plants.
A US Energy Department map of oil and gas infrastructure shows scores of low-lying sites in the storm’s projected path that are listed as potentially vulnerable to flooding.
A tropical storm warning has also been extended to the Alabama-Florida border.
National Weather Service says it ‘can’t bear’ to see Ida’s current path
Sunday 29 August 2021 14:31 , Nathan Place
As it tracks Hurricane Ida’s progress via satellite images, the National Weather Service New Orleans says it can’t bear what it’s seeing.
“As meteorologists at the National Weather Service Slidell office, we can't bear to see this on satellite,” the organization said in a tweet. “We have hard times ahead, but we will all persevere. Take all messages we, public officials and broadcast media are saying SERIOUSLY. Stay tuned for more frequent updates.”
As meteorologists at the National Weather Service Slidell office, we can't bear to see this on satellite. We have hard times ahead, but we will all persevere. Take all messages we, public officials and broadcast media are saying SERIOUSLY. Stay tuned for more frequent updates. pic.twitter.com/3dPhxHrUwI
— NWS New Orleans (@NWSNewOrleans) August 29, 2021
Flooding has started in Mississippi, local reports say
Sunday 29 August 2021 14:42 , Nathan Place
Roads have already started getting flooded in Mississippi, according to local reports.
In one Twitter video, posted by McClatchy reporter Justin Mitchell, two cars can be seen driving through deep water on Highway 90 in Biloxi, Mississippi.
“Two cars have already gotten stuck at Hwy 90 and Miramar [in] Biloxi as water has already taken over the roadway,” Mr Mitchell tweeted. “Ida is powerful, major hurricane and approaching landfall.”
Two cars have already gotten stuck at Hwy 90 and Miramar I’m Biloxi as water has already taken over the roadway. #Ida is powerful, major hurricane and approaching landfall. pic.twitter.com/W4P9JKyTSi
— Justin Mitchell (@JustinMitchell_) August 29, 2021
Ida may cause tornadoes, National Weather Service predicts
Sunday 29 August 2021 15:04 , Nathan Place
Hurricane Ida may cause tornadoes and supercells after it makes landfall, according to the National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center.
“Hurricane Ida will make landfall later this morning in SE Louisiana, and continue moving northwestward and inland through the afternoon,” the Center said in a tweet. “The threat for supercells and a few tornadoes will increase today in the outer convective bands to the northeast and east of the center of Ida.”
Hurricane Ida will make landfall later this morning in SE Louisiana, and continue moving northwestward and inland through the afternoon. The threat for supercells and a few tornadoes will increase today in the outer convective bands to the northeast and east of the center of Ida. pic.twitter.com/H2ak4i50Se
— NWS Storm Prediction Center (@NWSSPC) August 29, 2021
Authorities tell New Orleans residents to ‘shelter in place immediately'
Sunday 29 August 2021 15:20 , Nathan Place
In a post retweeted by Louisiana governor John Bel Edwards, the National Weather Service has warned all New Orleans residents to shelter in place “immediately.”
“If you are not in shelter, shelter in place immediately,” National Weather Service New Orleans tweeted. “Go to an interior room or a small room with no windows. Stay put during this time.”
09:05 am: Hurricane #Ida is still off the LA coast. If you are not in shelter, shelter in place immediately. Go to an interior room or a small room with no windows. Stay put durning this time. #lawx #mswx pic.twitter.com/k2QQlErNin
— NWS New Orleans (@NWSNewOrleans) August 29, 2021
Ida will test New Orleans’ post-Katrina protections
Sunday 29 August 2021 15:37 , Nathan Place
After Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans in 2005, the city embarked on a massive public works project to protect itself from future storms. Hurricane Ida will test those protections.
In the past 16 years, the federal government has spent $14.5 billion on building levees, pumps, seawalls, floodgates, and drainage in and around New Orleans. As Ida approaches, some experts think the city is ready.
“The post-Katrina system is so different than what was in place before,” US Army Corps of Engineers spokesperson Matt Roe has said.
Read more here.
EXPLAINER: Is New Orleans protected from a hurricane?
New Orleans closed massive flood gates ahead of storm
Sunday 29 August 2021 15:52 , Nathan Place
New Orleans on Saturday closed its extensive network of flood gates in preparation for Hurricane Ida. This included the gigantic Lake Borgne Surge Barrier, which can be seen from space.
The Flood Protection Authority is closing flood gates in the federal levee system to prevent storm surge ahead of #Ida
This includes the Lake Borgne Surge Barrier, which can be seen from space & is the largest design-build civil works project in the history of the Army Corps pic.twitter.com/IRoFx0q9mE— Mayor LaToya Cantrell (@mayorcantrell) August 28, 2021
Weather authorities predict ‘extremely life-threatening storm surge’ and ‘catastrophic wind damage’ from Ida
Sunday 29 August 2021 16:15 , Nathan Place
US weather authorities are predicting an “extremely life-threatening storm surge,” “catastrophic wind damage,” power outages, and “life-threatening flash and urban flooding” in Louisiana and Mississippi due to Hurricane Ida.
The dire warnings were announced by the National Hurricane Center and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on Twitter.
Here are the 10 am CDT Sunday, August 29 Key Messages for Hurricane #Ida. https://t.co/zY0xQM43yx pic.twitter.com/MXKZwLpttR
— National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) August 29, 2021
Louisiana governor: ‘We’re as ready as we can be’
Sunday 29 August 2021 16:29 , Nathan Place
Governor John Bel Edwards says Louisiana is “as ready as we can be” for Hurricane Ida, but the storm will be “a very serious test” of the state’s levee’s systems.
“It’s going to be a very, very challenging storm for our state, and it comes at a very difficult time as well,” the governor told CNN, explaining that hospitals are already filled with Covid patients, making it difficult for them to take on new patients hurt in the storm.
Hurricane Ida "is going to be a very serious test for our levee systems," Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards says. "… And it comes at a time that, quite frankly, it presents some very challenging difficulties for us with the hospitals being so full of Covid patients.” #CNNSOTU pic.twitter.com/a8ti0WPyEv
— State of the Union (@CNNSotu) August 29, 2021
Massive storm waves seen in Alabama
Sunday 29 August 2021 16:38 , Nathan Place
Startling video footage shows enormous waves breaking on the shores of Fort Morgan, Alabama.
US weather authorities had predicted that Alabama would be among the states affected by “life-threatening flash and urban flooding” from Hurricane Ida.
Wind and waves really starting to pickup with #Ida in Fort Morgan. @spann @SouthwickStorms pic.twitter.com/hQokkZxcJ0
— Wyatt Northrup (@CoffeeBrewBBQ) August 29, 2021
Flooding worsens in Biloxi, Mississippi
Sunday 29 August 2021 16:42 , Nathan Place
Flooding has intensified in Biloxi, Mississippi, where a casino’s parking garage was underwater by late Sunday morning.
Reporter Justin Mitchell captured the scene on video.
Violent wind and waves seen in Grand Isle, Louisiana
Sunday 29 August 2021 16:56 , Nathan Place
Video from Fox 8 NOLA reporter Zack Fradella shows brutal winds and waves rocking the island town of Grand Isle, Louisiana.
Grand Isle wind gust 136 mph, current view of surge and wind from Christie Angelette. #lawx @FOX8NOLA pic.twitter.com/YkHkqtGwk3
— Zack Fradella (@ZackFradellaWx) August 29, 2021
Photos show severe flooding from Hurricane Ida in Mississippi
Sunday 29 August 2021 17:03 , Nathan Place
FEMA sends thousands of workers to US southeast
Sunday 29 August 2021 17:14 , Nathan Place
The Federal Emergency Management Agency has sent 2,400 of its employees to states being hit by Hurricane Ida, CNN has reported.
Those states include Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and Texas.
“FEMA is working with its federal, state and local partners as well as non-governmental agencies to support needs of areas affected by Ida,” FEMA said in a statement. “The agency positioned supplies such as meals, water, and generators to assist states with impacts from this storm.”
Video shows the view inside Hurricane Ida
Sunday 29 August 2021 17:43 , Nathan Place
Video from a NOAA aircraft shows the view inside the hurricane currently barreling toward Louisiana.
Stunning video taken from inside the eye of #Ida this morning by the NESDIS Ocean Winds Research team during a flight on the @NOAA_HurrHunter P3 aircraft @NOAASatellites pic.twitter.com/sjt970Yeiq
— National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) August 29, 2021
Power outages have left almost 93,000 people without electricity in Louisiana
Sunday 29 August 2021 17:55 , Nathan Place
As Hurricane Ida bears down on Louisiana, 92,609 people in the state have lost their electricity, according to poweroutage.us.
Hurricane Ida has made landfall, hitting Louisiana with 150mph winds
Sunday 29 August 2021 18:11 , Nathan Place
Hurricane Ida has officially made landfall, reaching the southeastern coast of Louisiana near Port Fourchon at 11:55am.
The storm brought winds blowing at 150 miles per hour, according to the National Weather Service Hurricane Center.
“Ida made landfall as an extremely dangerous category 4 hurricane near Port Fourchon, Louisiana, with maximum sustained winds of 150 mph and a minimum central pressure of 930 mb (27.46 inches),” the Center said in a tweet.
1155 AM CDT: #Ida made landfall as an extremely dangerous category 4 hurricane near Port Fourchon, Louisiana, with maximum sustained winds of 150 mph and a minimum central pressure of 930 mb (27.46 inches) https://t.co/tW4KeFW0gB pic.twitter.com/iHdKMGk0tq
— National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) August 29, 2021
Power outages have affected over 150,000 Louisianans
Sunday 29 August 2021 19:02 , Nathan Place
Over 150,000 people in Louisiana have now lost their electricity due to Hurricane Ida, according to poweroutage.us.
One energy provider, Entergy, says some customers will have to wait weeks for their power to be restored.
“Every storm is unique,” Entergy said on its website. “Based on historical restoration times, customers in the direct path of a Category 4 hurricane can experience outages up to three weeks and beyond three weeks for a Category 5 hurricane.”
Torrential rain pummels Leeville, LA, just north of where Ida made landfall
Sunday 29 August 2021 19:23 , Nathan Place
Video footage shows the nightmarish view in Leeville, Louisiana, as it gets pummeled with torrential rain and powerful winds. Leeville is just north of Port Fourchon, where Hurricane Ida made landfall.
Here’s the view from Leeville, LA, just slightly north of Port Fourchon, LA, where Category 4 Hurricane #Ida made landfall. In the video, you can hear Captain Tommy Burkett talking about a barge that broke loose. #tropics #lawx pic.twitter.com/vQx0xSi8XC
— Jennifer Lambers (@jlamberswx) August 29, 2021
Ida ties with 2020 hurricane for Louisiana’s strongest storm ever
Sunday 29 August 2021 19:33 , Nathan Place
As a Category 4 hurricane with 150mph winds, Ida has tied for the record of Louisiana’s strongest storm in history, CNN has reported.
Ida’s fearsome strength matches that of two other storms: the Last Island Hurricane of 1856, and Hurricane Laura of 2020.
That makes Louisiana the first state in history to face hurricanes with winds of over 150mph in two consecutive years.
New Orleans EMS suspends operations ‘due to dangerous winds'
Sunday 29 August 2021 19:39 , Nathan Place
New Orleans Emergency Medical Services has suspended operations due to unsafe weather conditions, it announced on Twitter.
“NOEMS operations have been suspended due to dangerous winds,” the agency said. “We will address calls accordingly once it is safe for our first responders.”
#NOEMS operations have been suspended due to dangerous winds. We will address calls accordingly once it is safe for our first responders. pic.twitter.com/AiijjCLSuL
— New Orleans EMS (@NewOrleansEMS) August 29, 2021
Video shows tree being blown onto house by Ida’s winds
Sunday 29 August 2021 19:54 , Nathan Place
Video shows the moment winds from Hurricane Ida blew a tree onto a neighboring house in Harvey, Louisiana.
Large tree in Harvey uprooted Sunday by #HurricaneIda, falls onto neighbor's home (video courtesy of Jacob Lanassa). pic.twitter.com/ZNeNVKyoJn
— FOX 8 New Orleans (@FOX8NOLA) August 29, 2021
Horrifying video shows man wading out into storm surge
Sunday 29 August 2021 20:15 , Nathan Place
The National Weather Service has retweeted a video of a man deliberately walking into a storm surge, and emphatically warned others not to do the same.
“Absolutely DO NOT go into Storm Surge,” NWS New Orleans tweeted. “This is an extremely dangerous and LIFE-THREATENING situation and this man is putting his life in imminent danger. Stay inside, hunker down in an interior room or closet or bathroom and STAY PUT!”
Absolutely DO NOT go into Storm Surge. This is an extremely dangerous and LIFE-THREATENING situation and this man is putting his life in imminent danger. Stay inside, hunker down in an interior room or closet or bathroom and STAY PUT! EXTREME conditions ongoing. #lawx #mswx https://t.co/p3SjIyLGjn
— NWS New Orleans (@NWSNewOrleans) August 29, 2021
More than 300,000 people in Louisiana are now without power
Sunday 29 August 2021 20:30 , Nathan Place
The number of people without electricity in Louisiana has skyrocketed up to 301,965, according to poweroutage.us.
Only about an hour ago, that number was at approximately 105,000.
Power outages continue to skyrocket for Louisiana as Hurricane #Ida slowly moves onshore.
An hour ago around 100k were without power in LA –– right now the state is reporting nearly 300k outages with some coastal counties >80% out.
Expect these numbers to keep climbing. pic.twitter.com/V0mJJVwuoX— WeatherOptics (@weatheroptics) August 29, 2021
Footage shows Louisiana fire station flooded in just one hour
Sunday 29 August 2021 20:45 , Nathan Place
Video footage shows the dramatic flooding of a fire station in St Bernard Parish, Louisiana over just one hour.
This is how fast surge can rise.
You are putting your life in danger if you are in a surge prone area. PLEASE STAY AWAY FROM THE COAST! #Ida https://t.co/yJN8oLqujm— NWS New Orleans (@NWSNewOrleans) August 29, 2021
Baton Rouge hospital may have to put Covid beds in hallways if Ida brings new patients
Sunday 29 August 2021 21:00 , Nathan Place
Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana is already filled to capacity due to Covid-19, and may need to care for patients in hallways if Hurricane Ida brings in new ones, CNN reports.
“This hospital is ready to sustain quite a bit of damage, ready to sustain quite a bit of power outages... What we don't have is space and what we don't have are health care workers because of Covid,” the hospital’s chief medical officer, Katherine O’Neal, told CNN. “We have 619 people in-house today. We have 157 Covid patients, which is just unbelievable and still higher than we've ever seen in this pandemic before.”
‘We shouldn’t kid ourselves’: Biden holds press conference on ‘life-threatening’ hurricane
Sunday 29 August 2021 21:09 , Nathan Place
President Biden held a press conference on Sunday regarding Hurricane Ida, warning Americans to “take it seriously.”
“The storm is a life-threatening storm,” the president said. “And its devastation is likely to be immense. We shouldn’t kid ourselves. And so the most important thing I can say right now is that everyone, everyone should listen to the instructions from local and state officials, just how dangerous this is. And take it seriously.”
WATCH: President Biden gives update on federal response to Hurricane Ida.
"This is going to be a devastating hurricane, a life-threatening storm...take it seriously, really very seriously." https://t.co/4NZ9RGqLMP pic.twitter.com/oecQfoMiwd— MSNBC (@MSNBC) August 29, 2021
Louisiana governor asks residents to shelter in place for 72 hours after storm has passed
Sunday 29 August 2021 21:30 , Nathan Place
Louisiana governor John Bel Edwards has asked residents in Ida’s path to shelter in place not just for the storm’s duration, but for up to 72 hours afterward.
“Once the storm has passed, you need to be prepared to shelter in place for the first 72 hours,” Mr Edwards said at a press conference. “We have every possible resource ready to go to help you.”
The governor said even after the storm passes, going outside may still be dangerous due to downed power lines, debris, and other dangers.
Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards asks residents to be prepared to shelter in place for 72 hours once Hurricane Ida passes over the state.
"Please, be patient," he says. "We have every possible resource ready to go to help you." https://t.co/b3zvx2qOrx— MSNBC (@MSNBC) August 29, 2021
Video shows furious winds in Houma, Louisiana
Sunday 29 August 2021 21:45 , Nathan Place
Shocking video footage shows powerful winds in Houma, Louisiana, not far from Port Fourchon, where Hurricane Ida made landfall. Ida’s winds have reached up to 150mph.
Wind gusts are picking up in Houma, Louisiana. Eyewall coming soon. #Hurricane #Ida pic.twitter.com/XiKrGmFPj8
— Mike Theiss (@MikeTheiss) August 29, 2021
Louisiana power outages have now surpassed 400,000
Sunday 29 August 2021 22:00 , Nathan Place
Over 400,000 people in Louisiana have now lost their electricity due to Hurricane Ida, according to data from Entergy, a utility company in the state.
.@Entergy outages top 400k as of 3:30. That number, as expected, has climbed continuously and will continue to rise as #Ida impacts SELA pic.twitter.com/8cuCTB5f5Z
— Johnston von Springer (@johnstonvon) August 29, 2021
Video shows devastation in French Quarter, New Orleans
Sunday 29 August 2021 22:15 , Nathan Place
Shocking video footage shows the damage Hurricane Ida has already done to the French Quarter of New Orleans.
Damage from #HurricaneIda in the French Quarter of New Orleans pic.twitter.com/RPVQzcTE1c
— Cleavon MD 💉 (@Cleavon_MD) August 29, 2021
National Weather Service issues flash flood warning for New Orleans
Sunday 29 August 2021 22:19 , Nathan Place
The National Weather Service has issued a flash flood warning for New Orleans and its surrounding areas, effective until 10pm tonight.
Flash Flood Warning including New Orleans LA, Metairie LA, Kenner LA until 10:00 PM CDT pic.twitter.com/K2EdHyV3g3
— NWS New Orleans (@NWSNewOrleans) August 29, 2021
Satellite footage shows frightening path of storm system
Sunday 29 August 2021 22:30 , Nathan Place
A visual representation using satellite footage shows the frightening progress of Hurricane Ida, complete with flashes of lightning around the storm’s eye. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration posted the animation on Twitter.
EYE OF A MONSTER: @NOAA's #GOESEast 🛰️ gives an up-close look at the lightning swirling around the eye of #HurricaneIda, a dangerous Cat. 4 #hurricane, nearing the coast of southeastern #Louisiana.
Please stay safe!
More: https://t.co/arzjJiHnjF#LAwx #MSwx #idahurricane #ida pic.twitter.com/QosgjNT87l— NOAA Satellites (@NOAASatellites) August 29, 2021
Video shows roof being torn off home as winds pummel Louisiana
Sunday 29 August 2021 22:45 , Nathan Place
Video footage shows the moment powerful winds from Hurricane Ida tore the roof off a house in Chauvin, Louisiana.
Roof torn off home 1:09 PM
VIA: Zack LeBoeuf (CHAUVIN, LA) pic.twitter.com/OF4hqhGysk— CW39 Houston Meteorologist Carrigan Chauvin (@CarriganChauvin) August 29, 2021
Video shows winds tearing through New Orleans
Sunday 29 August 2021 23:00 , Nathan Place
Alarming video footage shows brutal winds ripping through the street outside a Hyatt hotel in New Orleans.
The wind outside the Hyatt parking garage in downtown New Orkeans is pretty intense. pic.twitter.com/xmus6CqYsC
— Faimon Roberts (@faimon) August 29, 2021
Delacroix, Louisiana is badly flooded
Sunday 29 August 2021 23:15 , Nathan Place
Video footage shows that Delacroix, Louisiana – not far from New Orleans – has been severely flooded.
“This is Delacroix as Ida comes ashore,” WWLTV reporter Paul Murphy wrote in a tweet including the shocking footage. “Storm surge pushed in over a back levee and flooded the area. St. Bernard Parish is expecting 8-12 feet of tidal surge. Courtesy Delacroix Yacht Club.”
New Video: This is Delacroix as #Ida comes ashore. Storm surge pushed in over a back levee and flooded the area. St. Bernard Parish is expecting 8-12 feet of tidal surge. Courtesy Delacroix Yacht Club. pic.twitter.com/p2ulADLYC4
— Paul Murphy (@PMurphyWWL) August 29, 2021
Authorities issue extreme wind warning for several Louisiana cities
Sunday 29 August 2021 23:30 , Nathan Place
The National Weather Service has issued an extreme wind warning for Houma, Metairie, and Kenner, Louisiana, effective until 6:30pm CDT.
“Treat these imminent extreme winds as if a tornado was approaching and move immediately to an interior room or shelter NOW!” the Service tweeted.
An extreme wind warning is in effect for Metairie LA, Kenner LA, Houma LA until 6:30 PM CDT for extremely dangerous hurricane winds. Treat these imminent extreme winds as if a tornado was approaching and move immediately to an interior room or shelter NOW!. pic.twitter.com/nSLa3aS032
— NWS New Orleans (@NWSNewOrleans) August 29, 2021
Hurricane Ida is now moving north
Sunday 29 August 2021 23:45 , Nathan Place
Hurricane Ida is moving north through Louisiana, the National Weather Service has announced.
“Ida appears as though it is starting to try to make the turn northward,” the Service tweeted. “The extreme wind warning has been expanded eastward some into Jefferson Parish as a result. If you got the warning, PLEASE stay in an interior room or small room with no windows.”
#Ida appears as though it is starting to try to make the turn northward. The extreme wind warning has been expanded eastward some into Jefferson Parish as a result. If you got the warning, PLEASE stay in an interior room or small room with no windows. #mswx #lawx
— NWS New Orleans (@NWSNewOrleans) August 29, 2021
New Orleans is now almost completely without power
Monday 30 August 2021 00:00 , Nathan Place
Nearly all of New Orleans has been blacked out by power outages, data from the utility company Entergy shows.
NOLA journalist Amie Just pointed out the horrifying numbers on Twitter.
“Still traces of green (meaning power) in New Orleans,” she captioned a color-coded graphic, “but the number of Entergy customers without power is increasing by the minute as Hurricane Ida moves into the metro.”
Still traces of green (meaning power) in New Orleans, but the number of Entergy customers without power is increasing by the minute as Hurricane Ida moves into the metro.
117K customers in Orleans, 147K in Jefferson, 12K in St. Bernard without power. 457K in Louisiana. pic.twitter.com/fkRIRbGD5p— Amie Just (@Amie_Just) August 29, 2021
81mph gusts in New Orleans — residents to ‘shelter within shelter’
Monday 30 August 2021 00:06 , Alastair Jamieson
New Orleans has just recorded a wind gust of 81mph and the National Weather Service is advising residents to shelter within parts of their own homes in case of structural damage.
New Orleans International reported a wind gust of 81mph within the last hour. Folks on the south shore from St. John through Orleans Parishes need to be hunkered down in your "shelter within a shelter" - closet/bathroom w/ no windows. #ida https://t.co/RZhyySYT5J
— NWS New Orleans (@NWSNewOrleans) August 29, 2021
Ida slows to Category 3, six hours after making landfall
02:10 , Alastair Jamieson
Hurricane Ida has downgraded to Category 3, six hours after first began battering the Louisiana coast as a Category 4 storm.
As the weather system passes over land, it has lost some of the energy it picked up crossing the relatively warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico.
https://twitter.com/KPRC2/status/1432139772013780996
Terrifying wind caught on video in Grand Isle, Louisiana
03:00 , Alastair Jamieson
This terrifying video found by the Weather Channel gives an indication of how bad the winds are for many in Louisiana today.
The number of power outages continues to rapidly increase across SE LA. #Ida pic.twitter.com/9VYBdoYvLT
— NWS New Orleans (@NWSNewOrleans) August 29, 2021
Neighbours helping out
03:30 , Alastair Jamieson
Although many thousands have fled coastal Louisiana ahead of the storm, others have stayed behind.
New Orleans sports journalist Luke Johnson noticed one New Orleans braving the conditions to cover a neighbour’s window after it blew out in the storm.
Neighbor who evacuated had a window to their house blow open in the storm. Another neighbor who lives across the street ran over with a power drill to close it off. #NewOrleans #AlgiersPoint pic.twitter.com/753BILzQWJ
— Luke Johnson (@ByLukeJohnson) August 29, 2021
He is one of hundreds of thousands in the city now without power.
And has left me sitting on my stairway drinkin’ these beers while they’re cold https://t.co/aoHvL2g634 pic.twitter.com/QqFfyuPuPn
— Luke Johnson (@ByLukeJohnson) August 30, 2021
Power goes out across New Orleans as 1 million hit by outages across state
07:48 , Andy Gregory
Hurricane Ida has knocked out power to all of New Orleans, home to 390,000 people, leaving those who remained there without air conditioning and refrigeration in sweltering summer heat.
The city's power supplier — Entergy — confirmed that the only power in the city was coming from generators, the city's Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Preparedness said on Twitter. The message included a screenshot that cited “catastrophic transmission damage” for the power failure.
The city relies on Entergy for backup power for the pumps that remove storm water from city streets. Rain from Ida is expected to test that pump system.
Overall, more than 1 million customers in Louisiana were without power, and another 60,000 or so in Mississippi were in the dark, according to PowerOutage.US, which tracks outages nationwide.
Biden declares major disaster
07:56 , Andy Gregory
Joe Biden approved a major disaster declaration for Louisiana, making federal aid available to the state .
This funding includes assistance for individuals to help secure temporary housing, home repairs and low-cost loans for uninsured property losses.
The president said the country was praying for the best for the state and would put its "full might behind the rescue and recovery" effort once the storm passes.
Hurricane now Category 1
08:08 , Andy Gregory
By the small hours of Monday morning, Central Daylight Time, Ida had maximum sustained winds of 75 mph — meaning it was a Category 1 hurricane more than 12 hours after it made landfall.
Forecasters said it would rapidly weaken throughout the morning.
It made landfall as a Category 4 storm with sustained winds of up to 150 mph. While it soon slowed to a Category 3, authorities had said this did not mean a reduced threat.
Louisiana governor warns state to brace for weeks of recovery
08:08 , Andy Gregory
Louisiana’s governor John Bel Edwards has warned his state to brace for potentially weeks of recovery.
“Many, many people are going to be tested in ways that we can only imagine today,” the governor told a news conference on Sunday.
He added: “There is always light after darkness, and I can assure you we are going to get through this.”
08:25 , Andy Gregory
Ida was churning in one of the nation's most important industrial corridors — home to a large number of petrochemical sites.
The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality was in contact with more than 1,500 oil refineries, chemical plants and other sensitive facilities and will respond to any reported pollution leaks or petroleum spills, agency spokesman Greg Langley said.
Louisiana is also home to two nuclear power plants, one near New Orleans and another about 27 miles northwest of Baton Rouge.
AP
08:43 , Andy Gregory
Here are some images of the devastation caused by the hurricane.
And here’s an image from the emergency operation tonight, as firefighters cut through trees on the road in Bourg.
08:46 , Andy Gregory
A nurse has captured the moment Ida tore part of the roof off a building at Ochsner Medical Centre in Jefferson, according to a local news producer.
Nurse captures roof being blown off at OCHSNER main campus. (credit: Courtesy: Chrissy Gottbrath) #HurricaneIda #nola pic.twitter.com/xSM95o1Yj1
— BunChoum (@BunChoum) August 30, 2021
09:01 , Andy Gregory
Ida has been blamed for at least one death, in Louisiana’s capital city Baton Rouge.
Deputies with the Ascension Parish Sheriff's Office responded to a report of someone injured by a fallen tree at a home in Prairieville and confirmed the death, the office said on Sunday.
The victim was not identified.
Tornado threat and life-threatening flooding forecast to continue
09:34 , Andy Gregory
The National Weather Service has predicted that the threat for several tornadoes will continue on Monday.
A threat for a few tornadoes will continue today (8/30) as the tropical system #Ida begins to curve to the east. Portions of southeast Louisiana, southern Mississippi, southern Alabama, and the western Florida Panhandle will be affected. #lawx #mswx #alwx #flwx pic.twitter.com/GNqEBH9kd3
— NWS Storm Prediction Center (@NWSSPC) August 30, 2021
In its latest update, issued at 10pm CDT, the National Hurricane Centre said that “life threatening storm surge inundation will continue through” the night along portions of the coast, while wind damage would continue to occur for several hours near the core of Ida as it continued inland
The hurricane “will continue to produce heavy rainfall tonight through Monday across southeast Louisiana, coastal Mississippi, and southwestern Alabama, resulting in considerable to life-threatening flash and urban flooding and significant riverine flooding impacts”, the centre said.
911 system down in New Orleans
09:56 , Andy Gregory
The 911 system in New Orleans is “experiencing technical difficulties”, the city’s emergency communications centre said on Twitter.
People are advised to go to their nearest fire stations or flag an officer for emergency help.
At this time, 9-1-1 is experiencing technical difficulties.
If you find yourself in an emergency, please go to your nearest fire station or approach your nearest officer. We will update you once this issue has been resolved. Thank you. pic.twitter.com/BE2AxwFuDa— OPCD911 (@opcd911) August 30, 2021
10:05 , Andy Gregory
The region currently being battered by Ida is also already reeling from a coronavirus resurgence fuelled by low vaccination rates and the highly contagious Delta variant.
The Associated Press reports that New Orleans hospitals planned to ride out the storm with their beds nearly full, as similarly stressed hospitals elsewhere had little room for evacuated patients.
Meanwhile, shelters for those fleeing their homes carried an added risk of becoming hotspots for new infections.
Ida now a tropical storm
10:22 , Andy Gregory
Ida has been downgraded to a tropical storm, after spending 16 hours battering the land as a hurricane.
Tropical Storm #Ida Advisory 17: Ida Now a Tropical Storm Over Southwestern Mississippi. Dangerous Storm Surge, Damaging Winds, and Flash Flooding Continue Over Portions of Southeastern Louisiana and Southern Mississippi. https://t.co/VqHn0u1vgc
— National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) August 30, 2021
10:40 , Andy Gregory
With the National Hurricane Centre warning that storm surges, dangerous winds and flash flooding will continue over parts of southern Mississippi, The Independent’s video team has this report on the flooding:
What could Ida’s economic toll be?
11:06 , Andy Gregory
Ida is sure to take a toll on the energy, chemical and shipping industries that have major hubs along the Gulf Coast, but the impact on the overall US economy should remain modest so long as damage estimates don't rise sharply and refinery shutdowns are not prolonged, economists have suggested.
“The key channel for Ida to impact the broader economy is through energy prices,” said Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s Analytics. “We will have to see how much damage occurred to production in the Gulf and how long that production will stay offline.”
Brian Bethune, an economist at Boston College, said a brief jump of up to 20 cents a gallon for petrol was likely – but cautioned that the price increase could be more severe depending on how long the production shutdowns last and whether other regions have alternative supplies.
AP
11:21 , Andy Gregory
Outbound American Air and United Airlines flights have been cancelled at Jackson–Medgar Wiley Evers International Airport.
They are expected to resume on Tuesday, the airport said.
TRAVEL ALERT 🚨
All @AmericanAir & @united outbound flights at JAN have been canceled due to the expected inclement weather conditions caused by Hurricane Ida.
AA expects to resume departing flights on Tuesday, Aug. 31.
Check your flight status at https://t.co/ffq6cucltC. pic.twitter.com/jXwCJaVMVJ— JMAA (@JacksonAirports) August 30, 2021
Mayor describes ‘worst storm surge’ in town’s history
11:56 , Andy Gregory
Some 200 people were left stranded last night in Jean Lafitte, a town 20 miles south of New Orleans where levees have been flooded by waters as deep as 12 feet.
Here is the mayor Tim Kerner’s heartbreaking assessment of the situation last night.
MUST LISTEN: Lafitte Mayor Tim Kerner Jr. pleads for help with water rescues saying 200 people stranded and in “imminent danger," per @SusanRoesgen. pic.twitter.com/uuGmW3ZxXE
— WGNO-TV (ABC) New Orleans (@WGNOtv) August 30, 2021
“At the height of a hurricane you can't get first responders out because it's just simply too dangerous. The wind speeds don't allow for that,” Louisiana governor John Bel Edwards told CNN on Sunday. “Just as soon as we can, we will be engaged in very robust search and rescue operations.”
The governor had told CNN there were 21 urban search and rescue teams from some 15 states ready to search when the storm allowed.
12:07 , Andy Gregory
The rapid speed with which Ida intensified raises questions about how much climate change is affecting hurricanes in the Atlantic Ocean, The New York Times reports.
With the Atlantic Ocean’s surface temperature helping to drive storm activity, James Kossin, a climate scientist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration told the paper: “It’s very likely that human-caused climate change contributed to that anomalously warm ocean.
“Climate change is making it more likely for hurricanes to behave in certain ways.”
12:30 , Andy Gregory
The National Weather Service has posted this safety update:
Even though the winds may have subsided and rain may have come to an end in some areas, hazards still remain. pic.twitter.com/Ip6kTn6J5H
— National Weather Service (@NWS) August 30, 2021
They are urging people to take care near damaged buildings and avoid power lines and floodwaters, where possible.
Mississippi river reversal ‘extremely uncommon’, government hydrologist says
12:51 , Andy Gregory
A Louisiana-based hydrologist has shed more light on Ida’s impact on the Mississippi River, which was found to be flowing in reverse.
“I remember, off hand, that there was some flow reversal of the Mississippi River during Hurricane Katrina, but it is extremely uncommon,” Scott Perrien, a supervising hydrologist at the US Geological Survey’s Lower Mississippi Gulf Water Science Centre told CNN.
The river level rose about 7 feet on Sunday due to storm surges pushing up the river at the USGS gauge, located some 20 miles south of New Orleans, during which time, Mr Perrien said, “the flow of the river slowed from about 2 feet per second down to about half a foot per second in the other direction”.
“The river is feeling the effects of the storm over a large area,” he added.
13:13 , Andy Gregory
Here are more pictures from overnight in Louisiana.
13:37 , Andy Gregory
As daylight begins to reveal the true scale of the damage in Louisiana, US weather service officials in New Orleans have compiled a list of streets known to have flooded.
Multiple flooded streets in New Orleans. Please stay sheltered in place unless you absolutely have to travel. Make sure to allow extra time and avoid the following flooded streets if traveling is required. #lawx pic.twitter.com/TGM3WAKR1D
— NWS New Orleans (@NWSNewOrleans) August 30, 2021
Investors scramble to calculate Hurricane Ida’s impact on US oil and gas
13:54 , Andy Gregory
According to the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, Hurricane Ida has caused the evacuation of more than half of the platforms and rigs in the Gulf of Mexico, our economics editor Anna Isaac reports.
Investors signalled that the outages could drive up US petrol prices in coming weeks, as the means of turning crude oil into major byproducts is severely limited by the hurricane and its aftermath.
US petrol prices rose more than 3 per cent as investors tried to work out how long it would take to get major oil refineries running again.
Investors scramble to calculate Hurricane Ida’s impact on US oil, gas
Storm Ida: First death reported as a million people left without power
14:13 , Gustaf Kilander
The first death stemming from Storm Ida has been reported as one million people have been left without power.
The Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office said on Sunday night that it had received reports that a person had been injured from a fallen tree in Prairieville, Louisiana, southeast of Baton Rouge. Deputies at the scene confirmed that the person had died, the first death reported during the storm.
Ida made landfall in Louisiana on Sunday on the 16th anniversary of Hurricane Catrina that devastated the state in 2005 between 23 and 31 August.
According to the National Hurricane Centre, Ida moved inland as a category 4 storm with winds measuring up to 150mph. By 10pm ET, it had moved down to a category 2 storm with winds of up to 110mph.
In Louisiana, more than a million people are without power, as well as 100,000 in Mississippi.
Entergy New Orleans said in a Sunday night alert that all of Orleans parish had lost power “due to catastrophic transmission damage”.
Read more:
Storm Ida: First death reported as a million people left without power
Power and emergency phone line remains out in New Orleans
14:31 , Gustaf Kilander
Morning #Ida updates in #NOLA:
🚨911 remains out
🔌Power remains out
⚠️Downed trees & power lines in roads
🦺Emergency personnel assessing damage & responding to incidents
Although severe weather has passed, continue to stay indoors, off roads & avoid hazards!— NOLA Ready (@nolaready) August 30, 2021
Al Roker almost knocked out covering hurricane Ida
14:35 , Shweta Sharma
NBC weatherman Al Roker was smacked by waves during his live show on Monday as the powerful hurricane Ida crashed into the shores of Port Fourchon, Louisiana.
The TV meteorologist appeared on NBC’s “Meet The Press” on Sunday clad in a full-body wetsuit as he struggled to stand his ground in the windy storm with raging waters near Lake Pontchartrain.
“I guess we lost communication,” Roker said on mic at one point to host Chuck Todd while struggling to stand still.
“It’s basically a 15-mile-wide F3 tornado,” he said about the hurricane which was packed with maximum sustained winds of 150 mph as a Category 4 storm. On the Fujita scale of tornado intensity, F3 indicates a severe tornado with wind speed between 158 and 206 mph.
Read more:
Al Roker almost knocked out covering hurricane Ida
Videos show damage in aftermath of Hurricane Ida
14:56 , Gustaf Kilander
The crumpled Entergy transmission tower by River Road in Bridge City. Local volunteer firemen said it collapsed iver a two-hour period Sunday night as #HurricaneIda battered the area. /1 @NOLAnews #nola #energytwitter pic.twitter.com/IqBXVtvjuZ
— Anthony McAuley (@AnthonyMcAuley2) August 30, 2021
Neighbor who evacuated had a window to their house blow open in the storm. Another neighbor who lives across the street ran over with a power drill to close it off. #NewOrleans #AlgiersPoint pic.twitter.com/753BILzQWJ
— Luke Johnson (@ByLukeJohnson) August 29, 2021
A video sweep of damage at Holden exit on I-12. pic.twitter.com/92tjpOLdZB
— David J Mitchell (@NewsieDave) August 30, 2021
Downed powerline and tree at Union St and Georgia Ave in Brookhaven pic.twitter.com/La0LqMaCYI
— Leah Williams (@LeahWilliams_TV) August 30, 2021
Governor: Levee system working ‘extremely well’ but storm has been ‘catastrophic’
15:15 , Gustaf Kilander
Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards told MSNBC that the rain and wind that hit his state has been “catastrophic”.
He said the state will have “flooding issues” and that “we certainly have people that are in the second floors of their house and some in the attic,” Mr Edwards said.
He added that a bright spot in the chaos was that “all of our levee systems performed extremely well, especially the hurricane risk reduction system around New Orleans”.
Mr Edwards said that first responders haven’t been able to get to everyone stuck on the upper floors of their homes.
“Three o’clock this morning, as soon as the weather improved enough, we dispatched urban search and rescue teams to the most affected areas,” he said.
“We have over 900 members of our search and rescue team comprised of teams that came from 16 different states that [don’t] include our National Guard, the entirety of which has been mobilized. They have 195 motor vehicles and 73 boats,” he added. “People are being rescued, even as we speak.”
Images show aftermath of Hurricane Ida in New Orleans as rescue efforts get underway
15:35 , Gustaf Kilander
New Orleans Police: ‘Now is not the time to leave your home'
15:55 , Gustaf Kilander
New Orleans Police have told residents to “shelter in place” and not leave their homes.
“Now is not the time to leave your home. There is no power. Trees, limbs, and lines are down everywhere. It is not safe to leave your home right now. Please remain sheltered in place,” the department tweeted on Monday morning.
Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards told MSNBC on Monday that he expects the death count to “go up considerably throughout the day”.
The Mississippi Department of Transportation also urged residents to stay off the roads.
We cannot stress this enough: PLEASE STAY OFF THE ROADS AND STAY HOME. Your safety depends on it.
There are trees down and debris blocking many roadways. First responders are working to clear the roadways.
Here is a current list of road closures: https://t.co/nFHr0iTFXX #mswx pic.twitter.com/Wpx0gMTVMR— MDOT (@MississippiDOT) August 30, 2021
Meterologist: Tornadoes still possible on Monday
16:10 , Gustaf Kilander
.@ChadMyersCNN explains what you should know about Ida, which has weakened to a tropical storm:
▪︎ Tornadoes are still possible today
▪︎ Expect about 4-6 more inches of rain
▪︎ Ida was 256 times more potentially damaging than a Category 1 storm https://t.co/IyxhilgSst pic.twitter.com/mm9K67BKlP— CNN (@CNN) August 30, 2021
Apartment building fire caught on camera amid storm aftermath
16:25 , Gustaf Kilander
More than a dozen fires were reported in the town of Kenner, west of New Orleans, amid the aftermath of Storm Ida, Mayor Ben Zahn and Fire Chief Terence Morris announced.
“Unfortunately, the department has very low water pressure because of the numerous breaks in the parish’s water system due to downed trees,” city officials said in a statement. “Also, flooding and downed trees and power lines are making travel in the city quite dangerous. In addition to those issues, the high winds from Hurricane Ida - which appear to be subsiding with the exception of gusts - are also making it difficult and unsafe for our firefighters to roll to calls.”
WOW!!! Major fire at the Relais Esplanade apartments in Kenner. No injuries were reported.
Video courtesy of Paige Gardiner pic.twitter.com/oGtgmxBCYY— wdsu (@wdsu) August 30, 2021
Cargo ship runs aground in Mississippi River
16:40 , Gustaf Kilander
The Atlantic Maya has crashed ashore and grounded on the Mississippi River batture in Kenner. #HurricaneIda pic.twitter.com/iQsJI20SaK
— Michelle Hunter NOLA (@MichelleHunter) August 30, 2021
— Michelle Hunter NOLA (@MichelleHunter) August 30, 2021
Governor: Storm recovery will take ‘many months’
16:55 , Gustaf Kilander
Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards told NBC that recovering from storm Ida will take “many months,” but he added that he hopes that power will return to “much of New Orleans relatively soon” after all eight transmission lines leading into the city were taken out of commission by the storm.
“The damage is really catastrophic.”@LouisianaGov John Bel Edwards joins us to discuss the destruction from Hurricane Ida and the rescue efforts now underway. pic.twitter.com/wHMqCTkVf3
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) August 30, 2021
Other official estimates suggest that some areas in and around the city could be without power for three weeks and be without water for five days.
First official estimates on damage in-and-around New Orleans from #hurricaneida. Power out for weeks in parts of JP suburbs.
Officials: Areas near Kenner could lack water for five days, power for three weeks | @RVargasAdvocate @NOLAnews | https://t.co/bSeUrjzZ6B— Jerry DiColo (@jdicolo) August 30, 2021
Sharing some pics of #Ida’s damage around town. This is an extremely hazardous situation and we encourage everyone to stay off the roads. 911 service remains out at this time. pic.twitter.com/6FNNhiXfBF
— NOLA Ready (@nolaready) August 30, 2021
Please remain sheltered in place. Although you may be tempted to go explore, conditions are still very dangerous. KEEP AWAY FROM ALL DOWNED UTILITY LINES-- EVEN THE TINY ONES!
Don't put yourself at risk. Stay home. Stay home. Stay home.— New Orleans EMS (@NewOrleansEMS) August 30, 2021
Images show flooding covering entire highway and enveloping fire station
17:10 , Gustaf Kilander
This is how high the water is in LaPlace near 1-10 & Hwy 51 pic.twitter.com/Gg4GfBZ6QM
— Ashley Frugé WBRZ (@ashleywbrz) August 30, 2021
Before and after images from a security camera at the Delacroix fire station in St. Bernard. Images were taken within an hour of each other yesterday. #HurricaneIda pic.twitter.com/g1Yemw6Y9U
— Tristan Baurick (@tristanbaurick) August 30, 2021
This is the exit coming into LaPlace. Hundreds still stranded in their homes. #HurricaneIda pic.twitter.com/5RDVg5Z2Y1
— Eman Boyd (@emanboydtv) August 30, 2021
National Guard making the rounds in #NOLA after #ida pic.twitter.com/V6fkgTgnIX
— Ian McNulty (@IanMcNultyNOLA) August 30, 2021
VIDEO: Historic New Orleans music shop destroyed by storm
17:25 , Gustaf Kilander
The historic Karnofsky music shop in New Orleans where Louis Armstrong, jazz trumpeter and vocalist, was employed, was destroyed as Hurricane Ida hit the city.
Retired journalist John McCusker told 4WWL: “Louis said it was the Karnofskys that instilled the love of singing in his heart.”
“The family would feed him and they would eat dinner together and they would sing to get the children to sleep,” he added.
The immigrant family loaned Mr Armstrong the money for his first cornet and later transformed their tailor shop to the first jazz record store in New Orleans. It collapsed on Sunday under the pressure from Hurricane Ida.
Biden to speak on Hurricane Ida as officials urge evacuees to stay away
17:40 , Gustaf Kilander
President Joe Biden is set to speak later this afternoon about the catastrophic damage done to the southeastern US by Hurricane Ida.
This comes as Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards announced that the recovery from the storm “is going to be a fairly long ordeal”.
“This is going to be a fairly long ordeal in terms of getting everything cleaned up and certainly getting everything repaired,” Mr Edwards said in a statement.
If you have evacuated out of #NOLA, we request that you DO NOT RETURN until further notice. There is widespread debris, power remains out, and emergency services are working to respond to those still in the city. We will let you know when it is safe to come home. #Ida pic.twitter.com/r6rSzGxLX0
— NOLA Ready (@nolaready) August 30, 2021
“Obviously Hurricane Ida packed a very powerful punch. She came in and did everything that was advertised, unfortunately,” the governor added.
“We have thousands of people out right now with high-water vehicles and boats who are doing search and rescue. We have dozens of helicopters up,” Mr Edwards said, and added that the state “is doing everything we can to get to all the individuals who need help”.
According to the governor, the levee system “performed extremely well, especially the federal levees”.
“But at the end of the day, the storm surge, the rain, the wind all had devastating impacts across southeast Louisiana,” he added.
Meteorologist: ‘This thing is winding down’
17:55 , Gustaf Kilander
CNN meteorologist Chad Myers has said that Storm Ida is still classified as a Tropical Storm as it moves into the country, but that it should be off-shore as Thursday moves into Friday.
“This thing is winding down and that’s the good news. It is not winding down when it comes to rainfall. Tropical-like rains where you walk outside and you could be wet in a minute, that is how hard these areas are seeing the rainfall,” Mr Myers said. “We’ve had a couple of tornado warnings earlier today. But the tornado watch has been posted until four and we’re not seeing anything rotating at this hour.”
He added that the storm would move “offshore by Thursday into Friday” and then be “long, long gone”.
“But we’re still going to see areas with four to six inches of rain far from where this made landfall, so we may see some flash flooding,” he said.
Louisiana Senator provides update on devastating impact of storm Ida
18:10 , Gustaf Kilander
Louisiana Republican Senator Bill Cassidy spoke to Fox News about the devastating damage done by storm Ida to his state.
“Even buildings that were designed to withstand hurricanes were terribly damaged,” Mr Cassidy said.
Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) provides a horrific report of two hospitals' roofs being blown off, generators going out, and nurses manually squeezing bags to help patients breathe. pic.twitter.com/R6DbsaVk2Z
— The Recount (@therecount) August 30, 2021
New Orleans councilman: City residents should be prepared to be without power for weeks
18:25 , Gustaf Kilander
New Orleans councilman Joe Giarrusso told CNN that city residents should be prepared for a “worst-case scenario” – that it could take weeks to restore power to the city.
He said that power companies have been telling officials that it could be just days, but that he thought that was “optimistic”.
“I think we have to be realistic at the same time and prepare people for a worst-case scenario just like Hurricane Laura and Lake Charles where it took weeks,” Giarrusso told CNN.
“One of the things that we’re going to have to think there, and I’m sure the city is working on right now, is for people who may not have the means, how could we get them to where they need to be so they are safe,” he said.“Being without power is not just a slight inconvenience, but it is a major fact in quality of life and how we deal with it to improve it as quickly as possible,” he added.
Police: May be difficult to get help to stranded people for ‘quite some time'
18:40 , Gustaf Kilander
Louisiana State Police said in a statement that “although the storm has passed, it is not yet safe to return to the area” affected by Hurricane Ida.
“Search and rescue missions will begin once first responders are able to navigate throughout the affected areas,” the agency said.
“There is standing water in some areas which can deteriorate roads and sweep vehicles away,” they added. “Debris is also scattered throughout the area, which can make navigating our roadways very difficult.”
Law enforcement urged motorists to avoid the affected areas “so that workers are able to safely clear travel routes”.
“Once the roadways are cleared, the process of evaluating damage and restoring power can begin. Please do not travel, as it is these dangerous conditions that can create additional emergencies that could be prevented,” police said.
“Communication is very limited in these areas. If you are stranded, it may be difficult to get help to you for quite some time.”
Here’s a video from Laplace pic.twitter.com/nYNuwCkuU8
— Mike Smith (@mikejsmith504) August 30, 2021
MSNBC correspondent confronted by angry ‘wacky guy’ during live hurricane broadcast
18:55 , Gustaf Kilander
MSNBC Correspondent Shaquille Brewster’s live broadcast was cut off when an angry man confronted the reporter while he was on the air speaking about Hurricane Ida.
Moments later, Craig Melvin informs viewers that Shaquille Brewster is fine after a "wacky guy" disrupted his live shot.
"Shaq, he's okay." pic.twitter.com/JdfYfnffdw— Justin Baragona (@justinbaragona) August 30, 2021
Appreciate the concern guys. The team and I are all good!
— Shaquille Brewster (@shaqbrewster) August 30, 2021
More than a million people still without power in Louisiana
19:10 , Gustaf Kilander
Power company Entergy said in an update that 80 per cent of their 1.1 million customers in Louisiana are without power.
“At 7am, we had 888,229 power outages in Louisiana due to Ida’s destruction. Power outages continue to increase today as the storm moves through Mississippi,” the company said in a statement on Monday.
“As a result of Hurricane Ida’s catastrophic intensity, major transmission lines that deliver power into the New Orleans area are currently out of service. At 8am across our service area, 216 substations, 207 transmission lines, and more than 2,000 miles of transmission lines are out of service. We know of one transmission line that spans the Mississippi River that is down. The destroyed tower withstood Hurricane Katrina that struck the area in 2005,” the company added.
The company echoed the statements of local and statewide level officials, saying that “those in the hardest-hit areas could experience power outages for weeks”.
Around 1pm, at least 1,042,908 customers were without electricity.
Biden to local leaders: ‘We’re going to stand with you’ for ‘as long as it takes’
19:25 , Gustaf Kilander
During a livestreamed briefing with local leaders in areas affected by storm Ida, President Joe Biden pledged to “stand with you and the people of the gulf as long as it takes you to recover”.
The White House has tapped Cedric Richmond, the administration’s director of the office of public engagement and former Louisiana congressman, as its point person on the recovery.
“We’re providing any help that you’re going to need,” Mr Biden told governors, mayors, and parish presidents, during the virtual briefing.
President Biden on Hurricane Ida: “There’s been at least one confirmed death and that number is likely to grow. We’ve got a million people in Louisiana without power.” pic.twitter.com/ShXWzUtCfY
— The Recount (@therecount) August 30, 2021
New Orleans mayor urges residents to share generator power
19:40 , Gustaf Kilander
New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell has asked residents to “share the power you have” as the city remains without power.
“While the power is dependent on generators, I’m calling all of our people and businesses that have the capacity in the city to be good neighbours … Share the power you have, open your businesses with the people to recharge their devices,” Ms Cantrell said on Monday.
She added that “nothing is a quick fix” when it comes to power outages.
The director of New Orleans Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, Collin Arnold, said that the situation across the city remained “extremely hazardous” and that with hospitals struggling under the strain of the resurging pandemic “right now, it’s just not a good time” to return to the city for those who have evacuated.
As a result of #Ida’s catastrophic intensity, major transmission lines that deliver power to NOLA are currently out of service. We know of one downed transmission line that spans the MS River. The destroyed tower withstood #Katrina. Stay informed ➡️ https://t.co/wt1ZVlZSer. pic.twitter.com/D2F4FKdVfN
— Entergy New Orleans (@EntergyNOLA) August 30, 2021
Biden: ‘More than 5,000 members of the National Guard have been activated'
19:55 , Gustaf Kilander
President Joe Biden said on Monday that more than 5,000 members of the National Guard have been called in from Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Texas “to support search and rescue and recovery efforts” in the wake of Hurricane Ida.
He told residents in affected areas to “shelter in place if it’s safe for them to do so”.
“For those who have lost their homes, the states working with the American Red Cross have already opened 50 shelters in the affected areas across the Gulf Coast,” the president added.
“FEMA has pre-positioned, literally, millions of meals and litres of water... as well as other resources. This is in the immediate area,” he said, adding that 200 generators have been moved to the area and that FEMA is working to supply more.
“We’re in close contact with local electric providers to see what they need, they’re all private providers, we don’t control that, but we’re doing all we can to minimize the amount of time it’s going to take to get power back up for everyone in the region,” he said.
He said members of his administration had been in contact with “the electric sector throughout the night and all day today to assess and understand the full extent of the damage”.
“To accelerate the process I’ve asked the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to work today with Louisiana and Mississippi electric companies to authorize the use of surveillance drones to assess Ida’s damage to energy infrastructure while ensuring those flights don’t disrupt aerial search and rescue operations,” he added.
Congressman posts images from flyover of flooded areas
20:10 , Gustaf Kilander
Republican Louisiana Representative Garrett Graves posted a series of images following a flyover to assess the damage in flooded areas, including Grand Isle, Fourchon, Houma, and Laplace.
— Rep. Garret Graves (@RepGarretGraves) August 30, 2021
— Rep. Garret Graves (@RepGarretGraves) August 30, 2021
White House officials to travel to area hit by storm this week
20:25 , Gustaf Kilander
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters that administration officials will visit areas affected by storm Ida this week.
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Deanne Criswell will meet with Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards in Baton Rouge on Tuesday to assess the damage done by the storm.
Ms Criswell will also meet Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves in Jackson.
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