Topline
As Hurricane Ida's devastating aftermath lasted into week two, more than 500,000 Louisiana customers still had no power Monday morning. Some parts of Louisiana were preparing for blackouts that would last until the end of the month.
As hurricane Ida moves through Bourg, Louisiana, firefighters look out of a shelter window. - Sunday's hurricane Ida, a strong Category 4 storm, struck Louisiana's coast. It occurred 16 years after Hurricane Katrina destroyed New Orleans. The National Hurricane Center issued an advisory saying that Category 4 Hurricane Ida made landfall near Port Fourchon in Louisiana. (Photo taken by Mark Felix / AFP). (Photo taken by MARK FELIX/AFP via Getty Images). AFP via Getty Images
The Key Facts
According to PowerOutage.US, 510,000 of Louisiana's more than 2.1 million customers had experienced outages on Monday morning, down from 600,000. The western portion of Louisiana has had power restored, however severe blackouts continue in southeastern Louisiana where 10% of residents are still without power. Six parishes have almost all their residents still in the darkTerrebonne and Lafourche, St. Charles St. John the Baptist, St. James, St. Helenaand could continue to experience widespread outages for several more weeks, Entergy Corporation President Philip May stated over the weekend. Although it was expected that New Orleans would take several weeks to restore power, the city has been making steady progress. New Orleans had 52% of its power restored Monday morning.
Big Number
1.2 Million. This is how many customers lost power in the storm that hit Louisiana.
Important Quote
May stated that the devastation has made it difficult, if not impossible, to access certain areas. He projected that it would take until September 29 for power restoration after the storm, which he said was more destructive than all three hurricanes Katrina, Zeta, and Delta.
Important Background
The Category 4 storm, which pummeled Louisiana last week continued to batter the Gulf Coast and Northeast. According to The Wall Street Journal the death toll from all areas affected by the storm is at most 62. However, the number keeps rising. Residents have been turning to emergency generators, which officials warn can cause carbon monoxide poisoning. A family of three died after setting up a generator in their backyard while being without power.
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Electric Company Says That New Orleans Will Have Power Within Days Not Weeks
