United States: Hurricane Ida hits the Lousiane

Waves crash against the New Canal Lighthouse on Lake Pontchartrain as the effects of Hurricane Ida begin to be felt in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States on August 29, 2021. VIA REUTERS - MICHAEL DEMOCK

Text by: RFI Follow

5 mins

Ida struck Port-Fourchon, Louisiana on Sunday at 11:55 a.m. local time with winds of up to 240 km / h and gusts to nearly 300 km / h.

The hurricane is slowly moving towards the Mississippi.

It is losing power and has been demoted from Category 4 to 3, but the southern United States still expects the worst.

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With our correspondent in the United States,

Thomas Harms

The governor of Louisiana estimates that Ida may be the most devastating hurricane since 1850 and everyone fears a new Katrina, which has killed more than 1,800

16 years ago to the day

.

US President Joe Biden also intervened from the federal crisis management agency, FEMA, to warn Americans that they had to prepare for the worst: "

Ida will be devastating

, it is a mortal danger, please take your precautions, listen to the local authorities and take this risk seriously

, ”he said.

On the passage of Ida, we see uprooted trees, torn roofs.

In the French Quarter of New Orleans, about twenty barges sail at random on the Mississippi River.

Wind gusts are picking up in Houma, Louisiana.

Eyewall coming soon.

#Hurricane #Ida pic.twitter.com/XiKrGmFPj8

- Mike Theiss (@MikeTheiss) August 29, 2021

The only electricity in the city comes from the generators 

"

The Entergy company, which distributes electricity in southeast Louisiana,

"confirmed that New Orleans was without electricity, 

" tweeted NOLA Ready, an agency of the Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness. . " 

The only electricity in the city comes from the generators, 

" she said. In total, nearly a million homes were without electricity Sunday night across Louisiana, according to the specialized site poweroutage.us.

We also expect hours and hours of rain and therefore floods that could last for several days.

However, the local authorities insist, in 16 years they have learned to prepare better.

“ 

Our State is stronger than 16 years ago, we have done a lot of work to limit the damage.

We have learned the lessons of Katrina and taken the necessary actions.

I can assure you we're ready,

 ”said Stephen McCraney, director of the Mississippi Crisis Management Agency.

"Stay in the shelter where you are for at least 72 hours"

Evacuation orders were followed closely and electricity suppliers dispatched hundreds of trucks to repair the damage as soon as the hurricane struck.

Nearly 1,600 people are currently in the 23 shelters in Louisiana.

A figure that could increase, because dozens of people have decided to stay at home.

On the coast, in Grand Isle, about forty residents refused the order to evacuate.

The authorities have not heard from them, the city is completely inundated and cut off from the world.

First aid has already warned that they will not be able to intervene during the night.

“ 

Once the hurricane has passed, you must prepare to stay in the shelter where you are for at least 72 hours,

 ” said State Governor John Bel Edwards.

To read also: Hurricane Ida made landfall in Louisiana with winds of up to 240 km / h

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