In the Algiers neighborhood of New Orleans, Yolanda Teague told Brian Todd of CNN that her family runs out of food and drink.
Teague, along with her boyfriend, eight children and two friends of her children, live in a couple of rooms in her four-bedroom house, hijacked after the roof collapsed into the living room. One of his children has heart disease which makes overheating extremely dangerous for him.
Making sure he is safe is an immediate concern for Teague, as the state is facing power outages and electricity, and the store he has access to has only remained open long enough for his family to take a few drinks.
In Plaquemines Parish, about 65 miles away, officials reminded residents in a statement Tuesday that there is no confirmed schedule for restoring electricity.
“Because of this, supplies like water, groceries, gasoline and medical supplies have been depleted and will not be readily available,” the statement says.
With the heat coming in, the lack of electricity can endanger your life.
“This is not a living condition,” Jefferson Parish President Cynthia Lee Sheng told CNN’s Don Lemon about the destruction in the area, adding that residents who chose to leave the area storm are now making the highways to get out.
All of New Orleans was left completely dark by the storm, but Mayor Latoya Cantrell said there should be “some level of transmission” in the city on Wednesday evening. Regional energy provider Entergy announced two possible ways to do this: one restores transmission lines and the other creates a temporary “autonomous network” for the area.
But much remains to be done until most residents recover their energy, and until then, many rely on gasoline-powered generators.
In New Orleans, cars lined up overnight at the few gas stations in the area that were open.
The governor “is not satisfied with 30 days” without power
Damage to Louisiana is significant and obstacles to regaining power are difficult, but officials aim to restore electricity.
“I’m not satisfied with 30 days, the people of Entergy are not satisfied with 30 days, no one who needs power is satisfied with that,” Governor John Bel Edwards said.
But Edwards said he “takes into account that we just had the strongest hurricane, at least tied to the strongest, that the state has ever experienced and that infrastructure has been damaged.”
Damage assessments were done in the state on Monday and Tuesday, and when the power companies are done they can start working out a plan, he said.
On Tuesday, the city of New Orleans said there are several ways to restore energy, but warned it will take time.
Ramsey Green, New Orleans ’deputy administrative director of infrastructure, explained that to regain power, the city does not need to restore the city’s eight power lines.
Green said Entergy identifies how many of them can work quickly.
“We can get energy in this city, but we may not be able to get it to your home right away,” Green said.
The outlook is brighter for many Mississippi residents affected by the storm. Entergy’s senior communications specialist Mara Hartmann told CNN that electricity would be restored to customers along the I-20 corridor by the end of Tuesday, and although much of the damage occurred on the subway. Jackson and “especially” southwest of Mississippi, power would be restored Thursday.
Rescues continue in areas “flooded with water”
Entering the third day since Ida hit the ground, officials are still conducting rescues from the deadly storm.
Ida has contributed to five deaths, including a drowning in Jefferson parish confirmed Tuesday.
The fire district of the parish of St. Tammany said the Avery Estates area “is still flooded with water.”
The photos show several lifeguards loading at least one resident into a high-water vehicle.
In Slidell, in the parish of St. Tammany, the police department warned residents that supplies in the area are limited and that “no relief is seen”.
Police urged the evacuated residents to stay away.
What will follow for Ida
As the storm continues to move northward, more states are feeling and preparing for its impact.
Meanwhile, parts of North Carolina and West Virginia declared states of emergency in anticipation of the storm coming to a head.
“I have declared a state of emergency for all 55 counties in West Virginia because of the growing threat of rapid flooding and severe storms since the current Tropical Ida Depression,” Gov. Jim Justice said Tuesday.
“All West Virginians must be absolutely prepared for the potential impact that Ida may have on our state,” Justice said. “And please don’t endanger yourself, your loved ones or our first aid by trying to drive through floodwaters.”
CNN’s Rebekah Riess, Keith Allen, Matt Egan, Amanda Watts, Claudia Domínguez and Taylor Ward contributed to this report.