- More than 200,000 people in New Orleans are without power, according to Entergy New Orleans.
- Hurricane Ida made landfall earlier Sunday as a Category 4 storm on the 16th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.
- Entergy said some customers could be without power for as many as three weeks.
More than 200,000 people were without power in Louisiana on Sunday afternoon, just about an hour after Hurricane Ida made landfall in the state, according to data from energy company Entergy New Orleans.
Power outages in the state have rapidly increased as the storm neared the coastline and eventually made landfall.
Entergy, which serves over a million people in the state, said that crews from power companies in 22 states and Washington, DC, would assist them in restoring power to areas facing outages during Ida.
“All crews and contractors will be following the required COVID-19 safety protocols,” Entergy said. “When you see crews working, please keep them safe and healthy by practicing social distancing.”
The company previously warned that customers in some areas could face a power outage for as many as three weeks.
“Based on historical restoration times, customers in the direct path of a storm as intense as Hurricane Ida could experience outages for more than three weeks,” it said in a statement to customers on its website. “While 90% of customers will be restored sooner, customers in the hardest-hit areas should plan for the possibility of experiencing extended power outages.”
Ida made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane in Port Fourchon at about 11:55 a.m. local time, according to the National Hurricane Center. It’s the same day Hurricane Katrina — a Category 3 storm when it made landfall — struck the area 16 years ago.
Ida currently has maximum sustained winds of 150 mph. The storm surge could reach as high as 16 feet from Port Fourchon to the mouth of the Mississippi River, according to the National Weather Service.