HURRICANE Ida slammed into Louisiana on Sunday, killing at least one man and knocking power out in all of New Orleans leaving locals to deal with the aftermath as the storm downgraded.
A 60-year-old man was confirmed to be the first casualty of the devastating storm after deputies said he was killed by a downed tree on Sunday.
The massive storm plowed ashore as an extremely powerful Category 4 storm exactly 16 years to the day after Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast.
On Sunday, Ida’s winds reached a strength of 150mph, ranking tied for the fifth-strongest hurricane to ever hit the mainland United States.
Ida gradually downgraded in strength as it passed over New Orleans, becoming a Category 1 storm just after midnight.
The wild winds meant that more than one million were hit by power outages in Louisiana.
The Mississippi River rose by nearly seven feet due to the storm surge and the strong winds actually caused the water to flow in the opposite direction.
Dozens were reported to be trapped after rainfall and storm surge from Hurricane Ida caused several levees to overtop.
President Joe Biden warned those in the path of the storm to “please follow the instructions of local officials during this dangerous time”.
“As soon as Hurricane Ida passes, we will put this country’s full might behind your rescue and recovery,” he said.
Read our Tropical Storm Ida live blog for the latest news and updates…
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ALABAMA RAINS
The remnants of Hurricane Ida begin hitting Alabama in the form of rain.
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POWER OUTAGES
Rescue efforts continue as over one million Louisiana residents are still without power.
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WRECKAGE
Local meterologist shares a photo of his hometown Houma, LA which has been “slammed” by Hurricane Ida.
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FLOODING BEFORE AND AFTER
Twitter user shares a photo of intense flooding in Laplace, Louisiana this morning.
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TORNADO WARNINGS
A tornado warning was issued in Malcolm and confirmed in Mount Vernon, Alabama.
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AFTERMATH
NOLA Ready, the city’s emergency preparedness campaign has been providing updates throughout Ida including power outages, available resources, and warnings of debris and descruction.
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DEATH TOLL TO RISE
Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards told MSNBC Monday that as rescue efforts increase, he expects the death toll to “go up considerably throughout the day.”
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RESCUE EFFORTS
Almost 5,300 National Guard members from four states have been activated to assist in rescue and relief efforts following the hurricane.
This includes 195 high-water vehicles, 73 rescue boats, and 34 helicopters.
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MASS FLODDING
Local journalist Justin Mitchell shared a photo of the intense flooding in Mississippi.
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200K WITHOUT POWER
According to PowerOutage.US, over 200k residents in Baton Rouge, Louisiana are without power due to the hurricane.
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VENTILATED BY HAND
A hospital in Thibodaux lost power and a backup generator stopped working, causing doctors and nurses to ventilate their patients by hand through a bad, according to Newsweek.
“Due to the unknown impacts that the storm may still produce we are closely monitoring the situation,” the staff stated. “We continue to provide a safe environment for our patients and staff.”
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NEW ORLEANS FIRE DEPT. SHARES PHOTOS OF ROOF OFF BUILDING
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ROOF IN GALLIANO, LOUISIANA BLEW OFF
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BUILDING COLLAPSE IN NEW ORLEANS
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BOILING WATER ADVISORY ISSUED
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ABANDONED VEHICLE HALF-SUBMERGED IN DITCH IN MISSISSIPPI
Credit: AP -
‘SIMPLY TERRIFYING’ FOOTAGE OF HURRICANE IDA
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SECTION OF ROOF BLEW OFF IN NEW ORLEANS’ FRENCH QUARTER
Part of a roof is spotted on the ground in New OrleansCredit: AFP