Louisiana Governor Says He ‘Fully Expects’ Death Count Attributed To Hurricane Ida To ‘Go Up Considerably’
Topline
As local officials throughout Louisiana and Mississippi attempt to access the damage inflicted by Hurricane Ida, some local mayors are reporting their communities seemingly escaped worst-case scenarios, but Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards warned that fatalities related to the storm would likely rise as search-and-rescue missions intensify.
A section of roof blown off of a building by Hurricane Ida blocks an intersection in the French … [+]
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Key Facts
Ida, which made landfall early Sunday afternoon near Port Fourchon with maximum sustained winds of 150 miles an hour, was downgraded to a tropical storm Monday morning.
More than 1 million people in Louisiana were without power Monday morning, according to PowerOutage.US, with another 130,000 customers in Mississippi losing power as well.
Sharon Weston Broome, the mayor of East Baton Rouge Mayor, said Monday that although much of the parish is without power, the parish was “spared from a horrific impact” of Ida.
Natchez, Mississippi, mayor Dan Gibson said in a press conference that roads “for the most part” are in good condition and that he was “grateful to report that everything is well.”
One death has been attributed to the storm (a man in Prairieville, La., died after a tree fell on a house), but Gov. Edwards (D-La.) said Monday he “fully expects the death count will go up considerably throughout the day.”
A man and his stepson walk through water in Saint Rose, Louisiana, on Monday. A total of 24 inches … [+]
AFP via Getty Images
A man helps a stranded motorist in floodwaters on Beach Blvd. in Biloxi, Mississippi on Monday.
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New Orleans Firefighters assess damages to a local restaurant on Monday after a building collapsed … [+]
ASSOCIATED PRESS
A man in Kenner, La., walks down a street flooded by Hurricane Ida on Monday.
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A woman in Kenner, La., surveys damage the damage wrought by Hurricane Ida. More than 1 million … [+]
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What To Watch For:
Although Ida is expected to continue losing strength as it moves further inland, it will continue to pose a danger to many parts of the Southeast, according to the National Hurricane Center. A flood watch has been issued for most of Middle Tennessee, and the storm is forecast to drop up to six inches of rain throughout the Upper Ohio Valley on Wednesday.
Key Background:
With Ida making landfall as a Category 4 storm carrying wind speeds up to 150 mph, it became the fifth-strongest hurricane ever to hit the mainland U.S. It’s the fifth named storm of the 2021 Atlantic hurricane season and arrived on the sixteenth anniversary of the devastating Hurricane Katrina, which decimated New Orleans in 2005.
Crucial Quote:
“This is going to be a fairly long ordeal in terms of getting everything cleaned up and certainly getting everything repaired,” said Gov. Edwards.
Big Number:
5,200. That’s the number of National Guard personnel being dispatched to Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas and Alabama to assist search-and-rescue efforts.
Further Reading:
Ida Weakens To Tropical Storm As Images Show Damage Caused By Extreme Conditions (Forbes)
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