Hurricane Ida: more than 1m without power as New Orleans assesses damage

Biden, who signed a federal disaster declaration on Sunday, promised government resources to back up state and local rescue and recovery efforts. “We knew Hurricane Ida had the potential to cause massive, massive damage and that’s exactly what we saw,” he said. “[We have] at least one confirmed death. That’s a number likely to grow.”

By Monday afternoon, Ida was downgraded to a tropical depression. But it was still expected to deliver “life-threatening flooding” and damaging winds as it moved north and west through Mississippi and the Tennessee Valley.

Many residents of New Orleans, which was totally blacked out after an electricity transmission tower fell into the Mississippi River, heeded warnings to evacuate. Those who left were told to stay away until further notice. In the historic French Quarter, streets were lined with storm detritus: fallen trees, roofing bricks and wrought iron railings severed from balconies above.

The sound of barking dogs and the buzzing of generators echoed down usually busy streets, now empty and near silent. With little indication of when power would be restored, many looked to leave the city. As one resident walked down Royal Street, examining the damage, she turned to her partner and said: “Mother Nature had its day.”