Topline
The National Hurricane Centre announced Monday that Ida was downgraded from a tropical storm to a hurricane storm. Parts of Louisiana and Mississippi are now facing high winds, a dangerous storm surge, flash flooding, and other hazards. One person has been declared dead, and over one million people remain without power in both Louisiana and Mississippi.
As Hurricane Ida approaches, a man snaps pictures of the high waves on Lake Pontchartrain.
The Key Facts
Ida, a Category 4 hurricane, made landfall Sunday morning with sustained winds up to 60 mph. These winds are expected to diminish over the next few days. According to the NHC, a tropical storm warning has been issued for portions of Louisiana, including Metropolitan New Orleans and Lake Pontchartrain. Authorities in Alliance, Louisiana reported a levee collapse in the early hours Monday morning. Residents were advised to seek higher ground. According to the Ascension Parish Sheriff's Office, one person died in Louisiana on Sunday at 8:30 p.m. after suffering injuries from a fallen tree. Late Sunday, President Biden declared a major catastrophe in Louisiana. This allowed federal funding to be released and provided assistance for affected residents, businesses, as well as local governments. Flash flood warnings remain in effect until 9:15 a.m. CDT for parts of southwestern Mississippi and southeastern Louisiana. Warnings have been issued for southeastern Louisiana.
What to Watch
Ida will become a tropical depression on Monday night. Forecasters predicted that it will cross central and northeastern Mississippi on Monday afternoon and night and then travel across the Tennessee Valley on Tuesday.
Important Quote
We are all tired. We are all tired, New Orleans' National Weather Service tweeted Monday. It was difficult, but we now look forward. Weather hazards are still in force so you should be extra safe today. If there is extensive damage, do not go out. DO NOT TRAVEL TOWARDS DUTCHED POWERLINES. Stay tuned for more information after the storm.
This is an ongoing story that will be updated.
New Orleans police examine the debris left behind by Hurricane Ida's destruction of a building in New Orleans. ASSOCIATED PRS
A man walks past a section of roof that was torn off a French Quarter building by Hurricane Ida winds on Sunday, August 29, 2021 in New Orleans ASSOCIATED PRS
A half-submerged vehicle lies in a ditch near a flooded highway, as the outer bands of Hurricane Ida arrive Sunday August 29, 2021 in Bay Saint Louis (Mississippi ASSOCIATED PRS).
Continue reading
First death reported from Hurricane Ida as more than one million homes in Louisiana are without power (Forbes).
Hurricane Ida: Live Footage - Flooding Widespread in the First Hours Following Landfall (Forbes).
Fauci says that Hurricane Ida could make Louisiana's Covid-19 Outbreak much worse (Forbes).
Forecasters warn that Hurricane Ida could make parts of the Louisiana coast uninhabitable for weeks or months.
