“Time is against us”, Hurricane Ida threatens Louisiana in US – liberation

Wooden boards and sandbags, New Orleans residents have taken refuge with their families in the face of a new extreme weather episode. Sixteen days after Katrina passed, Louisiana’s largest city, Ida, is preparing for its arrival, raising fears of catastrophic damage in the coming hours. As we approached the US coast this Sunday morning, it was “Strengthens fast” It has also become a Type 4 hurricane (scale 5), According to the U.S. National Hurricane Center. The winds could reach 215 kmph.

“It was one of the worst hurricanes to hit Louisiana since the 1850s.” Warned the state governorJohn Bell Edwards. South Louisiana is also prone to further destruction and flooding, with up to 50 cm of rain expected in places. “Dangerous Consequences Expected”, Mentioned the U.S. Meteorological Service on Twitter.

“Time is against us”, New Orleans Mayor Latoya Condrell said the area could be severely affected by the hurricane. The city, home to nearly 400,000 people, could not be evacuated in a timely manner.

During a televised address on Saturday afternoon, President Joe Biden called on residents to prepare and announce the deployment of hundreds of emergency response experts and the installation of water supply, food and electricity generators in anticipation of the hurricane.

Ida spent Friday evening on the southwest coast of Cuba, where thousands of people were evacuated and only minor damage was done as electricity was cut off. It continued on its way, strengthening in Division 2 of Hurricane 5 in mid-Saturday, with wind speeds already reaching 160km / h.

The memory of Katrina, who came ashore on August 29, 2005, is still painful in Louisiana, where more than 1800 people lost their lives and bad weather caused billions of dollars in damage. “I know it’s very painful to think that a new storm like Hurricane Ida could make landfall this year. Governor John Bell Edwards lamented. But we are not the situation we were sixteen years ago, we have a hurricane risk reduction system. He pointed out that this system is going to be “Put to the test”.

Region Health Alert

“Long-term power outage almost certain”, Also warned Colin Arnold, an officer in New Orleans. About 10,000 Power Grid operators are already ready to respond to the power outage, and John Bell Edwards said they will double soon. Louisiana national security was also fully mobilized.

The hurricane already threatens an area of ​​health alert: the delta variant hit the hardest part of Louisiana, with little vaccination, bringing its hospital system to its knees with nearly 2,700 hospitalized patients and several daily deaths at the peak of the epidemic.

“If you have to go to a shelter, make sure you wear a helmet and try to keep your distance,” he said. He recalled Joe Biden declaring a state of emergency in Louisiana.

In addition, in Mexico, Hurricane Nora crossed the coast with heavy rain on the Pacific coast, in the state of Jalisco overnight, from Saturday to Sunday. However, it is less dangerous. Hurricane Eye, Sapphire-Simpson Scale Type 1. There are no injuries.

Scientists say that as the surface of the oceans warms, hurricanes become more powerful. In particular, they pose an increasingly significant risk to coastal communities affected by tidal surges caused by rising sea levels. Hurricane Henry swept across the northeastern United States last week, while Hurricane Esla hit the Caribbean and Florida, just days before the Fred and Grace tropical storms.