On August 29, 2021, Hurricane Ida made landfall on the coast of Louisiana as a category 4 hurricane. This date also marked the devastating anniversary of Hurricane Katrina which hit the same state over 16 years ago, killing 1,833 people. The storm knocked out the power grid across several Louisiana Parishes as well as Mississippi, affecting around 1,020,000 customers. This leaves parts of the capital of Louisiana, Baton Rouge, as well as the immensely populated city of New Orleans without power. Many citizens face a direct struggle for food supplies as well as water shortages. On Monday, August 30, 2021, the storm was downgraded to a category 2 tropical storm, as it moved Northeast towards New York. As the storm began to make its way across land, it began to slow down and split off from its original state. Around 11 PM of September 1, 2021, a remnant of the storm hit New York City, sparking the first Flash Flood Emergency as well as around 5 inches of rain. This led to horrific videos of flooding in central Manhattan, as water poured into the Subway Stations. The states of New York and New Jersey are both under a state of emergency and most transportation services are temporarily suspended. According to the New York City Police Department, the total number of casualties is 29, including those killed in other states. Although this event is very alarming and devastating, the National Hurricane Center urges everyone to be on high alert this season and prepare for the worst.

Source:

Jeff Masters and Bob Henson. “Catastrophic Hurricane Ida Hits Louisiana with 150 Mph Winds ” Yale Climate Connections.” Yale Climate Connections, 30 Aug. 2021, yaleclimateconnections.org/2021/08/catastrophic-hurricane-ida-hits-louisiana-with-150-mph-win ds/.