With generator usage skyrocketing following the landfall of Hurricane Ida, Louisiana residents are encouraged to familiarize themselves with generator safety tips. Erik Piccoli has the story.
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Governor Edwards says National Guardsmen and a 900-person task force will begin grid searches of areas with extreme damage from Ida. Brooke Thorington has more.
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The city of New Orleans is without power and water and they are set to host an NFL game in the Superdome in less than two weeks. Kevin Gallagher has more…
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Last hurricane season there were more than 25 fatalities as a result of improper generator use. Fire Marshal Spokesperson Ashley Rodrigue says to be sure to read the instruction manual on your generator and always place it outside at least 20 feet from any occupied structure, to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning.
Also never try to power the house wiring by plugging the generator into a wall outlet and only use heavy-duty outdoor extension cords.
Also do not use your generator in rain or wet conditions and Rodrigue says never try to refuel your generator when it’s in operation. She says to turn it off and allow it to cool off for at least 20 minutes before refueling.
Rodrigue also highly recommends you have a fire extinguisher on hand at any time of year and if you own a generator there’s another item you should always use in conjunction with it because it just might save your life.
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There are already comparisons between Hurricanes Ida and Katrina, two major hurricanes that struck southeast Louisiana and made landfall 16 years apart to the day. Lt Governor Billy Nungesser says it would be much more efficient if campsites were pitched near heavily damaged areas to minimize commutes for workers.
Nungesser says the state desperately needs to receive federal response much faster than in the past. He says it’s improper to have residents wait six to nine months for a FEMA trailer that costs $200-thousand.
As for the long recovery ahead, Nungesser says Louisianans always help each other out and we’ll get through this as we’ve done before.
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St. Charles Parish Sheriff Greg Champagne says the parish is struggling with communication post Ida. Champagne says roughly 60 to 70 percent of residents evacuated the parish and he wants them to know there’s significant damage.
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Because of the widespread damage, the Parish has issued a curfew from 8 pm until 5 am. Champagne says only first responders are allowed out past curfew. He says Ida’s wrath is the worst damage he’s ever witnessed.
Champagne says if you evacuated the parish and want to return understand that stores and gas stations are closed so be prepared and bring plenty of food and water.
St. Tammany Parish President Mike Cooper says their parish is also having communication issues and they are unable to receive emergency calls.
Like other authorities in the southeastern parishes, Cooper is urging residents to remain sheltered in place as emergency personnel and crews work to clear roads and restore utilities.
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Governor John Bel Edwards hopes to survey damage from hurricane Ida today, he wasn’t able to Monday due to the number of air rescues needed.
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Edwards says search and rescue crews spent most of Monday answering 9-1-1 calls from Sunday night once conditions were stable enough for first responders to venture out. He says today crews should begin grid searches in areas in areas that suffered extreme damage.
Power restoration for southeast Louisiana could be lengthy and New Orleans residents have been told it could be up to 21 days before 90 percent of the metro area has power again. Edwards says well over a million customers are without power.
Edwards encourages residents to adhere to local curfews and for those who’ve evacuated to only return when it is safe to do so.
Edwards says so far there’s only be one confirmed storm-related death, but he expects there will be more. The governor reminded residents that more people are killed following a hurricane as opposed to during the storm and he encouraged everyone to practice extreme caution with generators and cleanup efforts.
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The Saints are holding practices at Dallas Cowboys stadium as they get ready for the regular-season opener against Green Bay on September 12th. Coach Sean Payton says they made the decision on Thursday to leave their team headquarters in Metairie after seeing that Ida was a real threat to southeast Louisiana
The players’ families also evacuated with the team. But some of them will find out they no longer have a job in the NFL as the Saints have to reduce their roster to 53 by 3 PM today. Payton says it’s not an ideal situation to do it this way…
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Payton says the plan is to practice in Dallas today and tomorrow and then give the players a few days off before they start game week preparations. The coach is not sure where they’ll be next week or if they can play in the Superdome against the Packers on September 12th…