Source: RT
Hurricane Ida, which has been downgraded to Category 3 storm with sustained winds of 115 mph (193 km/h), has caused a citywide blackout in New Orleans, with residents now having to rely only on generators for power.
Eerie footage from a high-rise in downtown New Orleans posted by Washington Post National Correspondent Tim Craig shows dim lights flickering in some of the windows.
View from Downtown New Orleans from 24th floor, looking out toward French Quarter. (And in this darkness, all residents just got emergency flood warning alerts on their phones) pic.twitter.com/Hjf5llrHSG
— Tim Craig (@timcraigpost) August 30, 2021
The City of New Orleans Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness issued an alert around 7p.m. on Sunday, stating that the outage was due to “catastrophic transmission damage.”
@EntergyNOLA has confirmed that New Orleans has no power. The only power in the city is coming from generators. #Idapic.twitter.com/9clSeFcz3T
— NOLA Ready (@nolaready) August 30, 2021
As of Sunday evening, some 742,000 customers were left without power in the state.
Via @PowerOutage_us: 700,000+ without power in Louisiana due to #HurricaneIda. #Ida#TrackingIda@FOX8NOLApic.twitter.com/VFMPTgcdLB
— Cody Lillich (@CodyLillich) August 29, 2021
It’s unclear when the power supply will be restored. Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards told The Associated Press on Sunday that the hurricane is expected to be “much stronger than we usually see.”
Ida made its landfall on the Gulf Coast around midday on Sunday as a category 4 hurricane, lashing the state with winds of 150mph (240km/h). About two hours later the hurricane made its second landfall southwest of Galliano.
The storm has already wrought havoc, knocking down trees, turning streets into rivers as water surged in coastal areas.
Really horrible flooding here in LaPlace, LA at 6pm. Pressure down to 982.2mb. Now trapped by the floodwaters at the Motel 6 but safe and have high ground. #lawx#wxtwitter#HurricaneIda@spannpic.twitter.com/WEPdSaYL5T
— Weather Intercepts (@Wx_Intercepts) August 29, 2021
Surge from Lake Pontchartrain getting up close to many businesses in LaPlace, #Louisiana, hwy 51. #Hurricane#Ida continues to bear down on us. #HurricaneIdapic.twitter.com/DjTq8gCJ0I
— Palmetto State Chasers (@PalmettoChasers) August 29, 2021
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