New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell ordered mandatory evacuations for residents in low-lying areas outside of the city’s levee system. Cantrell says those needing to evacuate should do so immediately as storm conditions should reach the city late Saturday. Residents inside the city’s levee system are under voluntary evacuations in preparation for Ida.
Forecasters warn conditions in the Gulf are ripe for Hurricane Ida to rapidly develop into a major hurricane. Matt Doyle has the story.
The Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness spokesperson Mike Steele says get all of your hurricane preparations done today and tomorrow. Steele says Ida will pose a major threat well inland as it moves through Sunday night into Monday morning…
Cut 8 (08) “…power lines come down”
Utility providers are prepping for Ida’s arrival on Sunday and in an effort to restore power as safely and quickly as possible if needed. Vice President of Distribution at Entergy Louisiana John Hawkins Jr says personnel is going through their pre-storm checklists and making sure that additional supplies, including poles, transformers, and other equipment, are on hand.
Residents should be prepared for the possibility of lengthy outages due to the expected intensity of Ida.