(ETH) – New Orleans may be without power and air conditioning for more than three weeks in the wake of Hurricane Ida, which roared ashore with more powerful winds than Hurricane Katrina, according to utility owner Entergy Corp.
According to Yahoo News, Almost 750,000 homes and businesses were without power across Louisiana as of 7:26 p.m. local time on Sunday, according to Poweroutage.us, which tracks utility outages. The blackouts were concentrated in the southeastern tip of the state that includes New Orleans and where Ida made its U.S. landfall.
Hours earlier, Entergy shut its 1,152-megawatt Waterford nuclear plant about 25 miles (40 kilometers) west of the city and will keep it offline until local grid issues are assessed after the storm. “Customers in the hardest-hit areas should plan for the possibility of experiencing extended power outages,” the company warned in a tweet.
The Washington Post stated: “Please understand this, there is the possibility that conditions could be unlivable along the coast for some time and areas around New Orleans and Baton Rouge could be without power for weeks,” the National Weather Service in New Orleans wrote Saturday night. “We have all seen the destruction and pain caused by Harvey, Michael, and Laura.
Anticipate devastation on this level and if it doesn`t happen then we should all count our blessings.” Tropical-storm-force winds are expected to reach southeast Louisiana Sunday morning, with deteriorating conditions expected thereafter into early Monday. The most dangerous conditions are probable between midmorning and early evening Sunday.
