Harrowing photos captured as the sun rose in Louisiana showed the true extent of destruction from Hurricane Ida — as more than 1 million people were still without power and officials warned it could be weeks before the grid is fully restored.
The images showed a trail of damage Monday in New Orleans from the Category 4 storm, which slammed into the region Sunday packing winds of up to 150 mph — making it one of the most powerful in US history.
Workers putting a tarp on a roof of a home that was damaged by Hurricane Ida in Houma, Louisiana on August 31, 2021. Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images
Fallen utility poles in a street in Houma after Hurricane Ida. Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images
A man on top of his family’s destroyed storage unit in Houma on August 30, 2021. AP Photo/David J. PhillipIn the city’s French Quarter, the roof of a building next to Jax Brewery was obstructing traffic after it was blown off by the storm’s powerful winds, one photo shows.
Some brave residents ventured outside to gawk at the damage — including one man who was captured with a flashlight to survey the post-apocalyptic scene.
The storm also destroyed the city’s Karnofsky Music Shop on South Rampart Street.
Karnofsky Music Shop suffered severe damage after Hurricane Ida arrived on the Gulf Coast on August 29, 2021. REUTERS/Devika Krishna Kumar
Streets in Kenner, Louisiana are flooded after Hurricane Ida dumped several inches of rain on the town. REUTERS/Marco Bello
A woman and her dog sitting outside of a destroyed home in Houma. Scott Clause/The Daily Advertiser via APPhotos showed the hurricane left the store, where Louis Armstrong once played jazz music and briefly worked, a pile of bricks, shattered windows and other debris.
Meanwhile, in Houma, La., scaffolding was ripped off a hotel and fell onto a vehicle.
Photos in Kenner, La., showed streets completely submerged in floodwater and downed electrical lines.
New Orleans firefighters assess damages as they look through debris after a building collapsed from the effects of Hurricane Ida. AP Photo/Eric Gay
A homeless couple with a sign asking for help after Hurricane Ida in Homa. AP Photo/Steve Helber
A Houma building destroyed by Hurricane Ida. AP Photo/Steve HelberNeighboring states were also impacted by the monster storm.
In Biloxi, Mississippi, a motorist became stranded on a street inundated with rising floodwaters, before recruiting another person to help them push their car, photos show.
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) administrator Deanne Criswell said they were still assessing the damage from the storm and the full impact wouldn’t be known until later in the day.
Several million people in Louisiana and Mississippi were left without power, according to PowerOutage.US. Scott Olson/Getty Images
According to reports, all of New Orleans lost power right around sunset Sunday, as powerful gusts of wind tore through the region. Thirty-nine medical facilities also lost power. AP Photo/Steve Helber
Some 2,200 evacuees were staying in 41 shelters across Louisiana as of Monday morning, according to the governor’s office — a number that is expected to rise. EPA/DAN ANDERSON“We’re hearing about widespread structural damage,” Criswell told CNN. “I don’t think there could have been a worse path for this storm. It’s going to have some significant impacts.”
Ida has claimed the life of at least one person so far — a 60-year-old man who was fatally injured when he was struck by a fallen tree.
Meanwhile, more than a million customers in Louisiana and Mississippi were left without power, according to PowerOutage.US.
Louisiana is also bracing for a COVID-19 surge as many people will be in close quarters at shelters. PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images
The Jax Brewery is inaccessible due to the large chunk of roof that came off a building due to Ida’s winds. REUTERS/Devika Krishna Kumar
The National Guard said it had activated 4,900 personnel and several boats on standby. EPA/DAN ANDERSONA power outage map of Louisiana showed that more than 80% of the state was impacted, with issues spanning at least 14 counties.
All of New Orleans lost power right around sunset Sunday as powerful gusts of wind tore through the region.
The ferocious storm also caused power outages at 39 medical facilities, which were operating on generators, FEMA said.
A petrochemical plant near Highway 61 in Norco, Louisiana, managed to survive Hurricane Ida. PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images
A resident walks past destruction outside a Houma, Louisiana, hotel in the aftermath of Hurricane Ida. REUTERS/Adrees Latif
Bowling balls sitting in a rack inside of a destroyed bowling alley in Houma. AP Photo/David J. PhillipMore than 2,200 evacuees were staying in 41 shelters across Louisiana Monday morning, according to the governor’s office — a number expected to rise as more residents are rescued from flood-ravaged homes.
The Louisiana National Guard said it activated 4,900 personnel and had 195 high-water vehicles, 73 rescue boats and 34 helicopters ready to provide assistance.
Ida tied for the fifth-strongest hurricane ever to hit the mainland when it made landfall around the offshore oil town of Port Fourchon around 11:55 a.m. local time Sunday.
The roof of a building next to Jax Brewery in New Orleans lies on the ground. REUTERS/Devika Krishna Kumar
A woman surveying the damage inside of Bowl South of Louisiana bowling alley in Houma. AP Photo/David J. PhillipIda was downgraded Monday to a tropical storm, but heavy downpours could still bring life-threatening flooding, the National Hurricane Center said.
In addition, Louisiana is bracing for a COVID-19 surge amid the chaos.
“This is a COVID nightmare,” said Christina Stephens, a spokesperson for the governor.
A man runs on Canal Street in New Orleans, Louisiana, on August 30, 2021. PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images
Workers removing an uprooted tree from the roof of a home in Houma. AP Photo/David J. Phillip“We do anticipate that we could see some COVID spikes related to this.”
With Post wires
