- More than 800,000 power outages are being reported, including the entire city of New Orleans.
- 22 barges were knocked loose in one part of the MIssissippi River.
- Portions of Interstate 10, Interstate 12 Closed in Louisiana
- Gov. John Bel Edwards requested a major disaster declaration.
- Ventilators were knocked out when a hospital lost power.
All of New Orleans was without power as Hurricane Ida moved inland Sunday night, walloping a huge swath of Louisiana in its path.
More than 814,000 homes and businesses were without power in Louisiana as of about 7 p.m. CDT, according to poweroutage.us.
Entergy, the state’s largest utility provider, said that number included every customer in New Orleans. The outages reflect only individual accounts – not the number of people actually in the dark.
The blackout is due to catastrophic transmission damage, according to a tweet from the city of New Orleans.
All or nearly all of Jefferson, Terrebonne, Plaquemines, St. Charles, St John the Baptist and Lafourche parishes were also without power.
Roads are covered in water, buildings have been ripped apart and rescue calls were coming in after Hurricane Ida roared ashore in southeastern Louisiana Sunday with crushing storm surge and extreme winds.
The storm made landfall near Port Fourchon and is ripping a path of destruction as it marches inland. Below, we’ll be updating this page with the latest information as it comes in, so check back frequently for the latest.
Barges Knocked Loose on Mississippi River
More than 20 barges were knocked from their moorings on the Mississippi River in St. Bernard Parish, nola.com reported. The U.S. Coast Guard was notified but there was little they could do.
It wasn’t immediately clear when the barges broke loose or where they were.
The incident happened in the same part of the river where a passenger ferry had earlier broken away.
Portions of Interstate 10, Interstate 12 Closed in Louisiana
The Louisiana Department of Transportation warned motorists that downed trees, power lines and other debris were blocking roads across southern Louisiana Sunday night. That included portions of I-10 and I-12.
“This will likely be common in all areas that are in the path of Hurricane Ida,” the agency said in an announcement on its website. “Weather conditions prohibit DOTD staff from clearing state routes at this time. Once it’s deemed safe to begin clearing the roads, DOTD has staff and resources staged to do so. With the widespread devastation, this process could take some time.”
Widespread Damage Reported in Lafourche Parish
Storm chasers are reporting widespread damage in Larouche Parish, where Ida came ashore.
Louisiana Governor Requests Major Disaster Declaration
Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards asked the White House to declare a major disaster declaration as Ida pummeled his state Sunday night.
“Hurricane Ida is one of the strongest storms to ever hit Louisiana,” Edwards said in a news release.
“This major disaster declaration will help Louisiana better respond to this crisis and protect the health and safety of our people … President Biden and FEMA have worked with us on the response in the days leading up to the storm making landfall. It is important that we, once again, roll up our sleeves and continue a coordinated response and recovery. I am confident that working with our federal and local partners we can get the job done and overcome the latest challenge to the state.”
Ventilators Knocked Out When Hospital Lost Power
Doctors and nurses scrambled to keep patients breathing as they were moved to another area after a generator failed in an intensive care unit.
The incident happened at Thibodaux Regional Hospital in Lafourche Parish, nola.com reported. That’s the parish where Ida made landfall just before noon.
The outage meant medical staff had to bag patients by hand, manually pushing air in and out of their lungs while they ere moved to another part of the hospital.
Dr. Joe Kanter, Louisiana’s chief health officer, told nola.com that generators were still working in other parts of the hospital.
Water Tops Levee in Parish Southeast of New Orleans
Residents were told to immediately seek higher ground after water topped a section of a levee in part of Plaquemines Parish, which stretches to the Gulf of Mexico southeast of New Orleans. A flash flood emergency was declared there.
Devastating Damage in Southeastern Louisiana
Video from Golden Meadow, about 20 miles north of Port Fourchon, showed buildings with their roofs torn off, walls collapsed and vehicles washed away by storm surge.
The community sits about 40 miles southwest of New Orleans, at the start of a narrow strip of Louisiana Highway 1 that runs down to the port.
Deputies Trying to Reach People After Roofs Ripped Off Homes
“We’re getting calls, people losing roofs, and we’re working to try to get to them,” Terrebonne Parish Sheriff Timothy Soignet told The Weather Channel Sunday evening. “We’re working as fast as we can to try and help them out.”
Rescuers were navigating through downed power lines and other hazards during gaps in the wind to try and get to residents who called.
(MORE: The Latest Forecast for Hurricane Ida)
“It’s pretty intense down here,” Soignet said.
A ferry broke loose from its mooring at a maintenance facility in the Algiers section of New Orleans, WWL-TV reported.
Rescues Could Take Up to 72 Hours
State and local officials say it could take up to 72 hours for first responders to reach some areas.
“We have every possible resource ready to go to help you. we’ll get there sooner than 72 hours if at all possible to rescue people across the state of Louisiana but this is the window of time that it may take in order to get first responders to you depending on conditions,” Gov. John Bel Edwards said in a Sunday afternoon news conference.
All of Louisiana National Guard Activated
Edwards said the entire National Guard is activated and ready to respond with 195 high water vehicles, more than 70 boats and multiple aircraft. Search and rescue personnel have come in from 16 other states. The state has more than 160 buses ready to help transport people after the storm.
‘Catastrophic’ Situation in Grand Isle
Reports trickled out of Grand Isle detailing the disastrous conditions there, where the only road out is reported to be under six feet of water and emergency services buildings are flooded.
“We have gotten requests for rescue for people who stayed on the island,” Parish President Cynthia Lee Sheng said in a news briefing Sunday afternoon. “I mentioned white caps are on the highway, our fire station is taking water, obviously first responders cannot get to you so those folks are just going to have to hunker down.”
(MORE: Track Hurricane Ida)
State and local officials have warned that it could take first responders up to 72 hours to reach those in need after the storm.
Police Chief Scooter Resweber said about 15 people who didn’t evacuate were sheltering at the police station.
Resweber described the scene there as Ida neared landfall and he and others with him watched out the bulletproof window of a hardened police bunker.
“We’re watching the roofs peel off buildings next to us. The flooding is catastrophic,” Resweber told The Weather Channel in a phone call. “We’re in bad, dire shape.”
Resweber said a wind gauge at the police station measured 148 mph. And then the gauge broke.
“Things are coming apart all around us,” he said.
Ida Makes Landfall in Southeastern Louisiana
Ida officially made landfall at 11:55 a.m. CDT near Port Fourchon, Louisiana, about 18 miles southwest of Grand Isle and about 60 miles south of New Orleans. Maximum sustained winds were 150 mph, making Ida a high-end Category 4.
Storm Surge Poured In as Ida Made Landfall
Video from St. Bernard Parish, southeast of New Orleans, showed water rushing in.
EMS Service Suspended in New Orleans
New Orleans has suspended EMS service until it is safe to resume. “We are at this point,” Tyrell Morris, the city’s 911 director, said in a news conference early Sunday afternoon. “All the public safety agencies at this point are making decisions of when they will or will not respond.” The 911 system was down for about 10 minutes earlier in the day, Morris said.
Residents, Tourists Told to Stay Inside
New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell told those who remain in the city to stay off the streets. “All of our residents, even visitors who are here, this is the time to stay inside,” Cantrell said. “Don’t venture out, no sightseeing, this is very dangerous. We need to stay in from this point forward, all morning, all afternoon, all evening.”
Storm Surge Hit Parts of Mississippi
Storm surge flooding was reported in parts of Mississippi, where curfews are in place in Hancock and Harrison counties.
A man passes by a section of roof that was blown off of a building in the French Quarter by Hurricane Ida winds, Sunday, Aug. 29, 2021, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
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