INDIANA – Ida made landfall near Port Fourchon, Louisiana, as an extremely dangerous, Category 4 hurricane with winds of 150 mph, on Sunday according to the National Hurricane Center.
Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards said Sunday that Hurricane Ida is one of the strongest storms to make landfall in Louisiana in modern times, as it rapidly intensified at an unprecedented rate, right up until landfall. The governor urged residents to remain indoors and to be patient, as the state does not know how soon first responders will be able to respond to calls for assistance.
The entirety of the Louisiana National Guard has been activated and currently, more than 4,900 guardsmen are staged across 14 parishes. They have 195 high water vehicles, 73 boats, and 34 helicopters ready to support and assist the citizens, the governor said.
More than 95% of the Gulf of Mexico’s oil production has been shut down thanks to Hurricane Ida, regulators said Sunday, indicating the hurricane is having a significant impact on the energy supply.
As of 11:30 a.m. CT, personnel has been evacuated from a total of 288 oil-and-gas production platforms, according to the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement. That represents about 51% of the manned platforms in the Gulf of Mexico.
The agency said all 11 rigs in the Gulf of Mexico have also been evacuated, and a total of 1.7 million barrels of daily oil production in the Gulf of Mexico has been shut-in – the equivalent to 95.7% of the region’s total output.
Ida has now weakened to a tropical storm but is still churning up deadly storm surge as it lingers inland. The National Weather Service in New Orleans says areas affected by surges could be uninhabitable for weeks or months. Tornados — a common companion of hurricanes — will also be a threat today.
The Indiana Region of the American Red Cross is deploying volunteers and Emergency Response Vehicles to assist those who will be impacted by the storm.
“Hurricane Ida will cause substantial impact to many people across the Gulf Coast, but our Red Cross volunteers prepare for disasters of this magnitude,” said Chad Priest, regional CEO of the American Red Cross – Indiana Region. “Our volunteers will be there before, during, and after the storm to help communities in their recovery efforts.”
Deployed volunteers will assist individuals and families with sheltering, emotional and mental support, emergency assistance, and recovery help to guide them through their next steps after Hurricane Ida. The Emergency Response Vehicles are deployed to assist with storing and volunteers handing out food, water, and supplies to those affected.
Donations and volunteers are needed to assist with Hurricane Ida and other disasters locally and nationally. This is how people can assist:
Become a Disaster Action Team Responder: The Red Cross helps disaster victims secure a safe place to stay and provides food, emotional support, and other assistance. More than one million times last year, a person relied on the Red Cross for a safe place to sleep after a disaster in the U.S. If anyone is interested in becoming a disaster action team member, visit www.redcross.org/dat for details.
Make a Financial Contribution: Financial donations enable the Red Cross to prepare for, respond to, and help people recover from disasters like Hurricane Ida. You can donate by visiting redcross.org/donate, calling 1-800-RED-CROSS, or texting REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation.
About the Indiana Region of the American Red Cross: The Indiana Region serves 104 counties across Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, and Illinois through its six-chapter areas: Central, Northeast, Northwest, Southeast, Southwest, and Greater Indianapolis (Regional Headquarters). For more information on the Indiana Region: www.redcross.org/indiana. Follow the Indiana Region on Twitter at: @INRedCross, on Instagram at @indianaredcross, or www.facebook.com/INRedCross.
About the American Red Cross: The American Red Cross shelters, feeds, and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or cruzrojaamericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.
