Louisiana Governor tells Hurricane Ida evacuees it’s too early to return | Louisiana

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Louisiana’s governor, John Bel Edwards, told those who fled their homes in the aftermath of Hurricane Ida not to go home until officials say otherwise.

“Many elements of life-supporting infrastructure are not there, they are not working now,” Edwards said at a press conference on Tuesday. “So if you have already left, do not return here or anywhere else in southeast Louisiana until the emergency preparedness office tells you it is ready to receive you.”

Edwards traveled with Deanne Criswell, director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema) to survey the damage first-hand. Fema teams that arrived on Tuesday plan to go door-to-door in hard-hit neighborhoods to register people for help, especially in areas with widespread cell phone outages.

More than a million homes and businesses in Louisiana and Mississippi — including all of New Orleans — were left without power after Ida hit the electrical grid on Sunday. In addition to bringing down a main transmission tower, the hurricane destroyed thousands of miles of lines and hundreds of substations.

About 25,000 utility workers are trying to restore electricity, which officials say could take weeks. In addition, about 441,000 people had no water in 17 parishes, as many water treatment plants were inundated or crippled by power outages. According to federal officials, another 319,000 people were subject to warnings about boiling water.

Hurricane Ida: Aerial footage shows flooding and devastation in Louisiana – video

With residents stuck without electricity, tap water, and gasoline, many Louisiana residents, especially vulnerable ones, faced a severe heat wave. A heat warning was issued for the area as meteorologists said the combination of high temperature and humidity could make it feel like 105 F (41 C) on Wednesday.

In the state, one person was killed in flood waters and another was killed by a falling tree. In Mississippi, two people were killed and at least 20 injured after their cars fell into a deep ditch as a highway collapsed, possibly due to heavy rain.

“There is no electricity. Our dire need now are fabrics, gasoline for generators, food, and water,” said Chad Ducotte, a pastor in Houma, Louisiana. “People here are doing what they can. “They don’t have anything,” he added.

General Daniel Hokanson, chief of the National Guard, announced Tuesday that more than 6,000 National Guard personnel have been deployed to assist with rescue and relief efforts in Louisiana, Mississippi and surrounding areas.

According to Edwards, state officials have been working on setting up stations to distribute food, water, and ice, as well as cooling stations and places where people using oxygen can connect their devices.

“There is a lot of work ahead and no one is under the illusion that this will be a short process,” Edwards said as cleanup and rebuilding efforts began across the state.

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