Louisiana Governor Expects More Hurricane Deaths

The governor of Louisiana, hit by Hurricane Ida, expects more deaths from the storm. One has been reported so far. Virtually no one in the state has electricity, and water supplies have been cut in many places, Governor John Bel Edwards said.

 

Residents of New Orleans and other parts of Louisiana and the neighbouring Mississippi were warned Monday to watch out for power lines in the streets and debris left behind by the hurricane. More than 1 million people in Louisiana are without power. In Mississippi, there are nearly 130,000.

Emergency number 911 does not work in New Orleans. Residents are advised to stay indoors. In Louisiana, 1,600 emergency and rescue workers are looking for victims. The National Agency for Disaster Management (FEMA) expects to be able to provide a picture of the impact of the storm later in the day. “We hear about widespread damage,” said a senior FEMA official.

16 years ago Sunday, New Orleans was hit by Hurricane Katrina, one of the worst natural disasters in American history. More than 1800 people died in the natural disaster, and the damage ran into the billions. Hurricane Ida has since descended into a tropical storm and is moving towards the eastern US.