2021-2023 Hurricane Ida

Event

On August 29, 2021, Hurricane Ida is made landfall twice along the Louisiana coastline, first near Port Fourchon and then two hours later in Lafourche Parish. This storm hit Louisiana as a powerful Category 4, where it brought life-threatening storm surge, catastrophic winds, and dangerous rainfall and flooding.

The storm caused widespread loss of power throughout Louisiana following the collapse of a tower carrying key transmission lines. The estimated repair time for this main tower will be several weeks, leaving the state without power during a time of oppressive heat.

This storm tested the upgraded levees, floodwalls, and floodgates installed following widespread failure after Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans sixteen years ago. Upgrades to levees in the western suburbs had recently begun and storm surge from Ida quickly rose above the levels of existing levees, leading to flooding in the suburb of LaPlace.

As the storm moved out of Louisiana, search and rescue efforts worked to find and locate survivors. Roads were cleared of debris to allow search and rescue personnel to pass, fuel was in short supply, and supplies were only available for purchase as cash only due to lack of electricity.

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