On August 29, 2021, Hurricane Ida began it’s reign of terror and hit Louisiana’s coastline. This was a particularly memorable day to begin with, considering it was Hurricane Katrina’s 16th anniversary. Ida was a category 4 storm with wind speeds up to 105 mph, and the second most destructive storm to hit Louisiana. This catastrophic storm caused power outages, massive flooding, and extensive
property damage across Louisiana and other southern states.
Power outages extended throughout major cities in Louisiana and into Mississippi leaving thousands of people stranded, without power. The power outages posed almost more extensive threats to civilians than the actual storm itself. People were left without refrigeration, air conditioning, or phone lines to reach loved ones or emergency services.
Ida transformed from scattered thunderstorms into a full blown hurricane in less than 72 hours, leaving no time for a mandatory evacuation from New Orleans. The reign of destruction did not end in Louisiana, it dumped a record amount of rainfall into
eastern states, causing flooding in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.
Over the past few years, with sea levels rising, hurricanes have become even more damaging, leaving more and more communities in southern America
devastated by storms ravishing their communities. Ida, in particular, caused
people throughout the Southern and Eastern coasts to be left devastated after Ida swept through their cities and destroyed local neighborhoods. New Orleans was left without power for twelve days, rendering recovery efforts impossible without any power. People are now left to rebuild their homes, communities, and lives because of Ida’s destruction.