Some power has begun to return to the people of Louisiana. Still, the road ahead will be a difficult one for the state. As of Tuesday night, nearly one million people are without power in the wake of Hurricane Ida.
The storm smashed into the gulf state last Sunday, bringing torrential rains and clocking winds as fast as 150mph. The Category 4 storm made landfall at Port Fourchon, some sixty miles south of New Orleans. Now, the fallout from the storm could have people without power for weeks, possibly for a month, report officials in southern Louisiana.
Entergy, a major utility company and power supplier in Louisiana, has an uphill battle. Fighting against the damage and a heat wave is an army of electrical workers. According to the Associated Press, 11,000 Entergy workers are working around the clock to restore power to customers across Louisiana. Currently, 89% of Entergy customers in Orleans Parish are without power. That accounts for approximately 173,000 people. Joining Entergy are some 25,000 other electrical workers recruited and deployed from across the country.
Powering up after Hurricane Ida
The efforts of the workers are starting to show. In Eastern New Orleans, customers are reporting improvements, and the lights are starting come back on for The Big Easy. However, the vast majority of New Orleans remains stuck in the dark. It is unclear when the rest of the city will get power back, and crews have their work cut out for them.
In a nutshell, the work is focusing on transmission lines. These direct power from power stations to smaller stations, and eventually to urban and/or residential areas. Once these can be fixed, power should steadily come back. Yet, the people of Louisiana will have to wait. Priority is going to hospitals, shelters, communication centers, and fire stations.
Crews will continue working feverishly to make improvements and restore functionality to the state. In the meantime, in New Orleans and across Louisiana will simply have to wait.
Stay in the know, here, with FMHipHop!
Garrett C. Owen
Twitter: GarrettCritten2
Instagram: garebear6458
