On the 16th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Ida slammed into the southern United States yesterday as a Category 4 hurricane impacting parts of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. A storm surge and strong winds ravaged impacted areas.
“When you have Mother Nature throw at you a storm, this strong. There’s going to be a devastating impact,” said the Governor of Louisiana, John Bel Edwards. The National Weather Service warned evacuated residents that their homes may be uninhabitable for several weeks.
Power is completely out in the affected areas, so generators and batteries are the only sources of electricity. “Some of the lines, right now can be restored,” said New Orleans City Councilman Joe Giarrusso. “It will be a few days, but it could be a matter of weeks.”
As officials begin to assess the devastation in the wake of the storm, many are concerned the situation could be dire for those who stayed behind. “People are in their homes and we’re getting reports of people with water up to their chest,” said a resident of Gretna, LA, Cynthia Lee Sheng. “Very, very dire situation, and we just can’t get out yet.”
The rescue effort should begin early tomorrow after the worst of the storm has fully passed. Miami-Dade has dispatched emergency workers to parts of Alabama to help mitigate the damage caused by the storm.
