Sylvie Claire./ August 30, 2021
U.S. authorities were preparing Sunday to deal with Hurricane Ida, category 4 on a scale of 5, which made landfall in Louisiana shortly before noon.This weather episode, one of the most powerful in recent decades to hit this region of the southern United States, also threatens the states of Mississippi and Alabama.
Winds are expected to reach up to 240 km/h. We are preparing for the worst, insisted President Joe Biden, promising all the help needed for the affected areas.
The U.S. Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has therefore planned for 2.5 million meals, 3 million liters of drinking water and 64 generators to deal with the health consequences and damage that Ida will leave in its wake. Several hundred rescue workers, 90 ambulances and seven helicopters are also available.
About 200,000 homes in New Orleans are without power. Across Louisiana, 370,000 customers are affected.
State Governor John Bel Edwards has also recalled 5,000 National Guard troops. The military is also preparing for rescue operations.