Hurricane Ida is close to exiting the state, now heading through north Tangipahoa Parish on its way to St. Helena and East Feliciana as a category one hurricane. Some wind impacts are still expected across the Northshore throughout the night and emergency response officials warn people not to leave their homes yet for fear of down powerlines and surprise flooding.

In the more than 12 hours since Ida first made landfall near Port Fourchon only one death has been officially reported, that of an Ascension Parish man who died when a tree fell on his home. That number is likely to grow once the sun comes up over the Bayou State and response teams can fully survey the damage along the coast and in Laplace where a reported seven feet of water was covering the I-10 nearby.

According to the public service commission a million Louisiana households are without power but that number is expected to grow in the coming hours.

President Joe Biden vows to put the country’s “full might” behind rescue and recovery efforts in southeast Louisiana in the wake of Hurricane Ida.

Biden says they’ve pre-positioned a number of federal assets including 2.5 million meals and three million liters of water. He says they have generators in place and are in contact with power companies…

Cut 6, 10 seconds, weeks

The New Orleans region suffered “catastrophic” damage to the power grid, losing a transmission tower and all eight transmission lines serving New Orleans and the east bank of Jefferson Parish.

Biden says they’ve been praying for the best but planning for the worst and are ready to help starting this morning. He says FEMA is ready to move in and assist ASAP…

Cut 7 (08) “…issues.”

Ida has been further downgraded to a category one and is now pushing through northern Livingston and Tangipahoa Parish after cutting directly between Baton Rouge and Hammond.

There are reports of extensive flooding in Laplace with as much as six feet of water in some neighborhoods. Ida seemingly parked over Laplace for two hours after moving on from Houma bringing severe storm surge from Lake Ponchartrain and rainfall.

The national weather service reports a levee near Lafitte and Jean Lafitte failed and called for everyone in the area to immediately seek higher ground due to a flash flood emergency.

There’s growing concern that it could take an extended period of time before power is restored to the New Orleans area after a transmission tower was taken down several hours ago. The public service commission reports a million households are now without power.

President Joe Biden vows to send an “army” of support to southeast Louisiana in the wake of Hurricane Ida. The President approved Governor Edwards’ request for a Presidential Major Disaster Declaration earlier Sunday, and Edwards says every state resource at our disposal is ready to move in and help in recovery and rescue efforts once the winds dissipate in a few hours.

Cut 9 (10) “…34 helicopters.”

With power out and homes flooded thousands of Louisianans are expected to need state shelter in the coming days. DCFS Secretary Marketa Garner Walters says if you need shelter call 2-1-1, and listen to local officials…

Cut 8 (15) “…listening too”

Ida is down to a category two hurricane after making landfall earlier today as a powerful category four. The slow moving storm is currently moving through Livingston Parish blasting the Northshore with powerful winds and heavy rain.

A transmission tower that provides power for New Orleans and the east bank of Jefferson Parish reportedly collapsed into the Mississippi River a few hours ago plunging nearly all of the Greater New Orleans area into darkness and threatening the region’s ability to pump out water that was dumped in by Ida. At least 900,000 households across southeast Louisiana have lost power with that number almost certain to cross a million by the end of the hour.

Ochsner says they will be evacuating everyone from St. Anne Hospital in Raceland after Ida ripped off a portion of the facility’s roof and the building began taking on water.

The state confirms the first fatalitiy reportedly linked to Ida, a man in Acension parish who died after a tree fell on his home.

Governor Edwards has requested a Presidential Major Disaster Declaration as a result of the massive damage southeast Louisiana is experiencing from Hurricane Ida. In the meantime, Edwards has activated the entire Louisiana National Guard, which means 49-hundred soldiers are able to respond to this disaster

Cut 9 (10) “…34 helicopters.”

And despite the power woes plaguing New Orleans the city’s 15 billion dollar federal levee system appears to have passed a major test and held up against storm surge pumped in by Ida. U-S Army Corps of Engineers spokesperson Matt Roe says the levee system that protects the metro New Orleans area was built to protect against a 100-year level of storm surge, which is a surge that has a one-percent chance of happening…

Cut 15 (14)“…the area”

Hurricane Ida has been downgraded to a category two hurricane and is now past Laplace and should be in Livingston Parish within the hour.
The state is reporting the first confirmed Ida-related casualty. A man in Ascension Parish was killed when a tree fell on his home along LA 621 just north of Gonzales.
Over 900,000 people in Louisiana are now without power according to the Public Service Commission with a near total loss of lights in Acsension, Terrbebonne, LaFourche, Jefferson, The River Parishes, Orleans, and St. Bernard. About 70 percent of Livinginston, Tangipahoa, and St. Tammany are out.
These losses are likely to send many seeking shelter. Governor Edwards says that’s going be to a logistical problem it COVID still surging…
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State Climatologist Barry keim says Ida is one of the three most powerful systems to ever make landfall in the state…
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And unlike past storms Ida managed to maintain at major hurricane strength for hours as it piddled around in the marshlands of southeast Louisiana and butted up against a high pressure system that slowed it to a crawl. Keim says there’s a few reasons why Ida is still a powerful category two…
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The power situation at LRN unfortunately triggered the building fire alarm. After 25 minutes we managed to shut it off. As a result the 930 broadcast will be a rebroadcast of the 830. We will return at 9:55 with a new newcast. Appologies.

– Matt Doyle

LRN is begining to experience some problems with power flucuations related to Ida that are causing our computers to restart frequently. Due to this there may be delays in the posting of Newscall texts. We will work to get these texts posted as proptly as possible, but if you see a delay know that’s what is happening.

This should not result in delays in the actual broadcasts.

– Matt Doyle, LRN

Hurricane Ida continues its slow, devastating creep across Louisiana, with the eyewall closing in on LaPlace.

Despite Ida’s historic power officials are confident the federal levee systems surrounding the Greater New Orleans Area will hold. Governor John Bel Edwards says that region is more protected than ever before.

Cut 12 (13) “..outages.” 

This advance has left about 650 thousand customers without power across southeast Louisiana. Entergy reports nearly the entire City of New Orleans has gone dark after the area suffered “catastrophic transmission damage”. Across Plaquemine, Terrebonne, and LaFourche Parishes nearly all customers are without power and power is rapidly fading in St. Tammany and Tangipahoa.

Despite making “landfall” earlier today Ida is still a robust category three hurricane with sustained winds of 115 miles per hour. State Climatologist Barry keim says that’s because the system made landfall in the waterlogged southeastern marshlands…

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Ida is forecast to move past LaPlace and into Livingston Tangipahoa Parishes around 10 PM tonight.

Ida is now a Category One hurricane as it moves toward the western tip of Cuba and on into the Gulf. The storm is expected to grow to Category 3 or perhaps higher before a Sunday landfall. National Weather Service forecaster Jared Klein says it’s too early to know where the heaviest rain will fall, but know the system has the potential to drop up to 20 inches in some areas…:
CUT 09 (05) “…Monday”
He says to be wary of potential flash flooding as Ida comes ashore Sunday.

Governor Edwards says he is requesting a federal Declaration of Emergency for Louisiana ahead of Ida’s landfall. Mr Edwards formally declared a state of emergency for Hurricane Ida yesterday afternoon. Ida is expected to make landfall late Sunday evening or Monday morning.

Utility providers are preparing for Hurricane Ida’s arrival Sunday, with the intent being to restore lost power as safely and quickly as possible. Entergy Louisiana VP John Hawkins Jr says their crews are on standby and they have called on extra contractors to assist in Ida’s wake…:
CUT 12 (09) “…this storm”

Ida’s winds may not only threaten homes and businesses; farmland could also be significantly damaged. USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey says caner farmers are especially concerned with Ida’s track…:
CUT 15 (07) “…target zone”
Rippey says rice harvest is just getting underway, so that’s another concern.

Ida is now a Category 1 hurricane, and is expected to gain in strength as it crosses the Gulf on a bead for the Louisiana coast. The Governor’s Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Preparedness urges residents to get storm preparations done before an expected Sunday landfall. Jeff Palermo has more…:
CUT 01 (32) “I’m Jeff Palermo”
New Orleans is bracing for a serious hit from Ida. Mayor Latoya Cantrell has called a voluntary evacuation for areas inside the city’s levee systems. She’s also ordered mandatory evacuations for low-lying areas OUTSIDE the levees.

Hurricane Ida is expected to reach Category 3 strength or perhaps even higher before landfall sometime late Sunday. State Climatologist Barry Keim says all the ingredients are there for rapid escalation once it enters the Gulf later tonight…:

CUT 3 (10) “…Louisiana”
Keim says there is some hope Ida MAY fizzle out a bit as it approaches the coast, but the atmospheric indicators say just the opposite.
Ida’s effects are expected to be felt in Northern Louisiana after making landfall; bringing heavy rains and tropical storm force winds. Schools and businesses in cities along the I-20 are deciding on possible cancelations for Monday, so listen for more announcements.

The 4 PM shows Tropical Storm Ida’s track shifting a bit east with landfall expected west of Morgan City sometime Sunday afternoon. Projections put the system at a category two hurricane when it hits land. State Climatologist Barry Keim says he expects Ida to develop rapidly once it gets into the Gulf on Saturday…

Cut 10 (09) “…these storms”

No evacuation orders have been issued so far but that could be on the table should the system further strengthen in the warm gulf waters. Governor Edwards says either way some sheltering will likely be needed, a concerning problem with the state in the middle of the 4^th COVID surge.

 Cut 13 (10) “…very daunting”

The AP releases shocking body camera footage from a 2019 traffic stop in Monroe where a State Police Trooper repeatedly bludgeons a Black man while he seemingly was complying with officers during an arrest. 46-year-old Aaron Bowman had multiple broken bones and a nasty gash on his head as a result, but Trooper Jacob Brown defended the beating calling it “pain compliance”. Bowman’s Attorney Donecia Banks-Miley says that’s “bull”.

Cut 6 (10) “…the least.” 

Video and audio captured from the incident do not appear to show Bowman resisting as he is held down by several troopers.

Cut 7 (11) “…*beep*.”