Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards said Monday the damage in the aftermath of Hurricane Ida, one of the strongest hurricanes to hit the state on record, "is really catastrophic."
Why it matters: Edwards, speaking on NBC's the TODAY Show, did not confirm if there were additional deaths beyond the first death that had been confirmed on Sunday night but said, "I fully expect the confirmed death total to go up considerably."
- Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office said in a statement that deputies responding to reports of a tree falling on a person in Prairieville on Sunday night "confirmed that the victim" had died.
What they're saying: The damage from Hurricane Ida, while severe, would have been far more extensive if the Louisiana's levee system did not hold throughout the storm, Gov. Edwards said.
- He said the state had 1,600 personnel dispatched for search-and-rescue missions on Monday morning.
By the numbers: More than 1 million customers in the state, particularly in the southeast, were still without power on Monday.
- Entergy Louisiana, one of the energy providers in the state, said in a statement Sunday that people could be without power for weeks after the storm passes.
New Orlean's 911 dispatch system and other emergency services were still offline on Monday morning after the storm knocked out power for the entire city on Sunday night and heavily damaged several buildings and homes.
Sharing some pics of #Ida’s damage around town. This is an extremely hazardous situation and we encourage everyone to stay off the roads. 911 service remains out at this time. pic.twitter.com/6FNNhiXfBF
— NOLA Ready (@nolaready) August 30, 2021
- The city requested residents who evacuated the city to not return on until notified.
The big picture: Though Ida has weakened to a tropical storm, it is still projected to bring heavy rainfall and flooding to the South into parts of the East as it moves inland, according to the National Weather Service.
Go deeper:Climate change lurks behind Hurricane Ida's unnerving intensification rate