Hurricane Ida in Southeastern USA

Post-Tropical Cyclone Ida remains a tropical depression currently located 35 miles east of Hagerstown, MD. Ida is moving east-northeast at 25 miles per hour while exhibiting maximum sustained winds of 35 miles per hour with higher gusts. The storm is expected to continue to move northeast on Wednesday, September 1. Some strengthening is possible later tonight as Ida moves offshore. Significant and life-threatening flash flooding is likely from the Mid-Atlantic into southern New England, especially across highly urbanized metropolitan areas and areas of steep terrain. Widespread moderate and major river flooding impacts are forecast from northern West Virginia and western Maryland into southern Pennsylvania and New Jersey, particularly in the Monongahela, Potomac, Susquehanna, Delaware, lower Hudson, and Coastal Connecticut river basins. Resources from federal, state, and local agencies have been deployed for search and rescue efforts for those impacted by the storm. The Louisiana National Guard activated at least 4,900 members, 195 high-water vehicles, 73 rescue boats, and 34 helicopters, and the Coast Guard is assisting with more than 28 aviation assets and nearly 21 shallow-water response vehicles. Local and state agencies have deployed hundreds more. Authorities have reported that at least six people have been killed from Ida-related impacts; one person was killed when their house collapsed in uptown New Orleans and a driver drowned in floodwaters in New Orleans. Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards said the death toll might rise considerably as authorities search the most-impacted areas. Numerous storm-related injuries have also been indicated. Two electrical workers were killed in Alabama after they were electrocuted while repairing power grid damage. US Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra declared public health emergencies for Louisiana and Mississippi on Monday, August 30. States of emergencies were declared in Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, West Virginia, and Virginia, and federally by President Joe Biden. New Northeast & Mid-Atlantic Impacts: Remnants from Ida have led to flash flooding and flood-related disruptions including several tornadoes in Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia. Ongoing Southern: Significant wind, storm surge, and flood and flood damage continue to impact southeastern Louisiana, southern Mississippi, and coastal Alabama. Numerous roadways remain closed or deemed impassable due to flooding or debris and an unspecified number of structures are damaged. Damage reporting has been slowed due to instruments being damaged, road closures, and cell and power service outages. Approximately 53 million people remain under flood alerts across the eastern half of the United States. Nearly a million utility customers remain without power in southeastern Louisiana and thousands remain without power in southwestern Mississippi. The restoration of power to those in New Orleans and the surrounding parishes could take days. Ida took all eight electricity transmission lines offline and approximately 2,000 miles of transmission lines are out of service. Widespread 911 outages have also been reported in southeastern Louisiana. AT&T said its wireless network in Louisiana was reduced to 60 percent of normal. In Louisiana and Mississippi, thousands of people are without water service. Multiple boil water advisories have also been issued for entire parishes, impacting hundreds of thousands of customers. In Algiers, approximately 80 sewage pumps failed and power issues were reported among the local drainage pump stations. Widespread mandatory evacuation orders and voluntary evacuation orders remain in place for hundreds of thousands of people across southeastern Louisiana and Hancock and Jackson counties in Mississippi. The New Orleans Police Department has deployed "anti-looting" officers after a large transmission tower collapsed and knocked out power to the city. Numerous calls for looting were reported along with several arrests, although authorities have stressed there is no widespread looting. Earlier reports indicated a looting incident was connected to a nearby shooting resulting in two injuries along Nicholas Dr in Baton Rouge.\ Retail and delivery operations will be suspended until further notice. Waste Management canceled all collection services for customers in southwestern Mississippi, as well as Jackson and the surrounding areas, for Monday, August 30. Significant public transportation, air travel, port, and industrial disruptions have also been reported. Earlier damage reports: There were numerous reports of structure damage from fallen trees and roofs being blown off, including a large roof that blew off a commercial structure in the French Quarter of New Orleans. Sources reported a partial loss of generator power at the intensive-care unit at Thibodaux Regional Health System in Lafourche Parish on Sunday due to high winds. The roof of Lady of the Sea General Hospital in Galliano, LA, was blown off, and at least seven patients were evacuated but no injuries were reported. An apartment building in Houma, LA, also suffered a roof collapse, and its occupants are being rescued. In Uptown New Orleans, the roof of St. Stephen's Catholic School partially blew off. An Entergy transmission tower collapsed into the Mississippi River in Bridge City. Winds from the storm caused the airport jet center at the Houma–Terrebonne Airport (IATA: HUM) to collapse. Further, other partial collapses and roof destruction are reported around the facility. Numerous reports of wind-related damage to residences have also been indicated. Four Louisiana hospitals were damaged and 39 medical facilities were operating on generator power. As a result, hundreds of patients were evacuated. At least 22 barges broke loose in Louisiana. On Sunday evening, one person was injured during an incident on a vessel on the Mississippi River. National Hurricane Center information: Ida initially made landfall near Port Fourchon, Louisiana, southwest of Grand Isle, on Sunday, August, 29, at approximately 11:55 AM local time, as a Category 4 hurricane. A second landfall was recorded around 2:00 PM near Galliano, Louisiana. All Tropical Storm and Storm Surge Warning have been discontinued.