The storm strikes the coast on the 16-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.
New Orleans lost power late on Sunday as Hurricane Ida made landfall. As of early Monday morning, over 1 million residents were still without power in both Louisiana and Mississippi. The first fatality was reported Sunday night and was caused due to falling debris. Officials expect that number to rise in the coming days.
Significant flooding has also been reported as the Mississippi began flowing in reverse due to the storm surge and make lakes and inlets were overflowing their banks.
More than 4,900 Louisiana National Guard members are already at work in search and rescue operations in impacted areas.
The storm weakened slightly, dropping to a Category 3 storm early Monday morning. Is it is expected to weaken to a tropical depression as it moves north, but strong winds, heavy rain, and flash flooding are still expected in Louisiana, Mississippi, and West Tennessee.
Governor John Bel Edwards said late Sunday, “This is going to be much stronger than we usually see and, quite frankly, if you had to draw up the worst possible path for a hurricane in Louisiana, it would be something very, very close to what we’re seeing.”
Ahead of the storm reaching the coast, President Joe Biden “declared that a major disaster exists in the State of Louisiana and ordered Federal aid to supplement State, tribal, and local recovery efforts in the areas affected by Hurricane Ida beginning on August 26, 2021, and continuing,” according to the official statement from the White House.
In the president’s declaration, he added that federal funding would be allocated to areas affected by the storm and that “the assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster.
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For guidance for state and local leaders as they address the recovery following the devastation of the Hurricane.
- For God to protect and guide the many National Guard personnel and local first responders as they carry out search and rescue operations and provide aid to those in need.
- For the protection of those still in the path of the storm in Mississippi and West Tennessee.
Sources: ABC News, CNN, CBS News, National Hurricane Center, Washington Post
