Security camera footage captured roaring waters and whipping winds in Louisiana's St. Bernard Parish as Hurricane Ida continues to churn over the state.
St. Bernard Parish — just southeast of New Orleans — posted the video to Twitter:
Hurricane Ida makes landfall in Louisiana
By Fernando Alfonso III, Mike Hayes, Judson Jones, Adrienne Vogt, Meg Wagner, Aditi Sangal, Kathryn Snowdon and Jack Guy, CNN
Updated 8:22 a.m. ET, August 30, 2021
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Here's what it looks like in Louisiana's St. Bernard Parish
Louisiana governor requests major disaster declaration as Ida pummels state
From CNN’s Keith Allen
Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards on Sunday requested a Presidential Major Disaster Declaration as his state continues to be pummeled by Hurricane Ida, according to a press release from his office.
“Hurricane Ida is one of the strongest storms to ever hit Louisiana. It is our goal to assist our local agencies and the citizens of the state as quickly as possible, and we have pre-positioned search and rescue teams, boats and other assets to begin helping people as soon as it is safe," Edwards said in a press release Sunday.
“This major disaster declaration will help Louisiana better respond to this crisis and protect the health and safety of our people, and I hope the White House will act quickly so we can begin getting additional aid and assistance to our people,” the governor added.
Edwards has requested federal public assistance related to emergency protection actions, shelters and temporary housing costs, his office said. Also included is a request for federal assistance for debris removal and infrastructure damage, according to the press release.
On Friday, the Biden administration approved Edwards’ request for a Federal Declaration of Emergency prior to Ida making landfall, CNN previously reported.
911 and the sheriff office's phone lines are down in this Louisiana parish
From CNN's Paul P. Murphy
Officials in Lafourche Parish, Louisiana, hit hard by Hurricane Ida, says their 911 line and Parish Sheriff Office phone lines are down.
CNN obtained an emergency alert sent out to residents in Lafourche Parish, which alerted the outage.
No reason was given for the outage, but much of the Parish is being inundated with wind, rain and storm surge from Hurricane Ida.
Those with emergencies should call 985-772-4810 or 985-772-4824.
"If busy, please keep trying," the alert reads.
Plaquemines Parish says there are reports of a levee overtopping
From CNN's Gene Norman
Rainfall and storm surge from Hurricane Ida is causing a levee to overtop on the east bank of Plaquemines Parish between the Parish line and White Ditch, according to the New Orleans National Weather Service office, which shared an update from the Plaquemines Parish government.
A flash flood emergency is in effect for parts of Plaquemines Parish, including the Braithwaite area, and residents are urged to seek higher ground.
Ida is still a Category 4 storm as it crawls northward through Louisiana
From CNN's Brandon Miller
The center of Hurricane Ida is passing just east, about 5 miles, from Houma, Louisiana, at 5 p.m. local time, which is 6 p.m. ET.
Ida is currently located about 40 miles southwest of New Orleans and maximum sustained winds remain at 130 mph, meaning it's still a Category 4.
Category 4 hurricanes have sustained winds between 130 and 156 mph
Damaging wind gusts continue to be reported. A station at the South Lafourche Airport recently had a gust to 122 mph. Winds also continue to pick up in New Orleans, with a wind gust of 83 mph reported at New Orleans Lakefront Airport last hour.
More than half a million are now without power in Louisiana
From CNN’s Rebekah Riess.
More than 500,000 customers are now without power in Louisiana as Hurricane Ida continues to slam the state, according to Poweroutage.us.
There are 504,149 customers without power as of 6 p.m. ET, another increase of more than 100,000 customers within 90 minutes.
Power outages are expected to continue increasing as the storm moves inland.
It's just past 5 p.m. in Louisiana. Here's what you need to know about Ida now.
Hurricane Ida is still a Category 4 storm hours after making landfall near Port Fourchon, Louisiana.
It's just past 5 p.m. in the state now — here's where things stand:
- Winds have weakened just slightly: Hurricane Ida's top wind speeds have decreased slightly, down to 130 mph, meaning it's still a Category 4 storm, but just barely (Category 4 hurricanes have sustained winds between 130 and 156 mph). When Ida made landfall earlier today, it had winds of 150 mph.
- The storm has slowed down: Hurricane Ida’s forward speed has slowed down and the storm is only moving to the northwest at 10 mph. This will increase the flooding potential, as well as the amount of time the winds will last over inland locations.
- New Orleans is under a flash flood warning: There's a flash flood warning now in effect for New Orleans and parishes around the city, according to the National Weather Service. The warnings will last until at least 11 p.m. ET, or 10 p.m. local time.
- A poignant anniversary: Ida hit on the 16th anniversary of the historically devastating Hurricane Katrina. As a Category 4 hurricane with winds of 150 mph, it tied at the state's most powerful storm ever with Laura from last year and the Last Island Hurricane of 1856.
What it looks like on the ground as Ida lashes Louisiana
Winds are whipping and trees are down in Houma, Louisiana, as Hurricane Ida blasts the region.
CNN meteorologist Derek van Dam is in Houma — which is about 60 miles northwest of Port Fourchon, where Ida made landfall earlier today — and took video of the dangerous conditions from a balcony
Here's what it looks like:
New Orleans is now under a flash flood warning
There's a flash flood warning now in effect for New Orleans, according to the National Weather Service in the city.
Flash flood warning have also been issued for...
- Northwestern Jefferson Parish in southeastern Louisiana
- Northwestern Plaquemines Parish in southeastern Louisiana
- West Central St. Bernard Parish in southeastern Louisiana
- Northwestern St. Charles Parish in southeastern Louisiana
- West Central St. John The Baptist Parish in southeastern Louisiana
The warnings will last until at least 11 p.m. ET, or 10 p.m. local time.