Rescuers search for stranded ones by Hurricane Ida in Louisiana.

Photo: Edmund D. Fountain for The New York Times

Even as New Orleans recovered from its most catastrophic attack since Hurricane Katrina confident that its levees had withstood, rescue crews spread out across Louisiana on Monday looking for those left behind in the aftermath of Hurricane Ida.

While residents were relieved to have avoided a devastating flood, the storm shut off numerous nearby villages, and the degree of the destruction in those places is being determined. And over a million people have been without power, including most of New Orleans, more than 300,000 people have been without water, and 2,000 people have been in shelters, as per officials.

On Monday, New Orleans' 911 system was down for over 12 hours, forcing officials to encourage people in need of assistance to go to their local fire station.

Officials say at least three people have been killed as a result of the storm. A man was killed while driving in New Orleans; a woman was found dead in the fishing village of Jean Lafitte, south of the city; and a man was killed when a tree fell on his house in Prairieville, about 20 miles southeast of Baton Rouge, according to the Officials.

Officials and volunteers reacted to calls from individuals stuck in residences flooded by rising floods across southern Louisiana, sometimes in boats. More than 70 individuals were evacuated from flooded areas in Jefferson Parish alone.

Many others' fates remained unknown as rescuers attempted to locate individuals who had stayed at home to weather the storm. Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards said he expects the death toll to climb "considerably."

Publish : 2021-08-31 13:05:00

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