HOUSTON — UPDATE — This live blog has been archived as of noon Monday, Aug. 30, 2021
Older updates follow....
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Below are updates from KHOU 11 meteorologists and reporters Xavier Walton, Marcelino Benito and Zack Tawatari, as well as our sister station, WWL, in New Orleans.
HOW TO HELP: How you can join Lakewood, Gallery Furniture in helping those impacted by the hurricane
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THIS BLOG HAS BEEN ARCHIVED: get the latest updates here
Monday 11:13 a.m.
Our sister station WWLTV is reporting that, according to Jefferson Parish officials in the New Orleans area, many residents should expect to be without power for three or more weeks and without water service for about five days. Water pressure is already very low, if non-existent, for many. Read more here.
Monday 11 a.m.
AT&T outages continue to plague Louisiana as recovery efforts begin, WWLTV reports. The outages are causing widespread communication issues.
Monday 10:55 a.m.
Up to 400 people were trapped by rising waters in Jean Lafitte, and search and rescue crews have been helping people escape throughout Hurricane Ida's landfall, officials said Monday morning. Read more here from our sister station WWLTV.
Monday 10:30 a.m.
More than 5,000 members of the Louisiana National Guard have been deployed across the state. Officials say they've been able to rescue several people already, but will be continuing their efforts throughout the day and in the coming days.
Monday 10 a.m.
The New Orleans Airport says it is inspecting the facility for damage, but they expect all flights to be canceled today.
Monday 9:45 a.m.
WATCH: Numerous first-person water rescues caught on camera after cars drive into deep water on Interstate 10 in New Orleans. As a good Samaritan was rescuing one person he is almost hit by a pickup truck plunging in the water. One woman rescued was a nurse who was trying to deliver medication. She was rescued by an off duty Italian Naval officer.
Monday 9:35 a.m.
KHOU 11's Xavier Walton just walked us through the NOLA French Quarter after the hurricane passed through. Take a look at the video here:
Monday 9:10 a.m.
Jefferson Parish's 9-1-1 services have been restored. Emergency calls should be directed there. Unfortunately, the parish's administrative line, which was what they used to route emergency calls while 9-1-1 was down, has itself experienced an outage. It's unclear when that outage will clear up.
Monday 9:05 a.m.
Jefferson Parish officials say a three-week estimate for power restoration is a generous one. For many, it will be much longer before the lights flicker back on. And in the meantime, Louisiana continues to swelter in summer heat, with temperatures in the 90s and a heat index above 100 degrees.
Monday 9 a.m.
Two or three boats full of people rescued from the Lafitte area have returned to solid land in recent minutes. Parish officials now say about 500 people are still in the town, up from the 100-200 initially believed to be in the flood area.
Monday 8:40 a.m.
Watch: Powerful Hurricane Ida rips through Lafourche Parish, Louisiana — video provided to CBS News
Monday 7:50 a.m.
Some early damage from across New Orleans is coming in. In the Lower Garden District, downed lamps and tree limbs are making navigation difficult.
Monday 7:25 a.m.
Jefferson Parish officials are asking residents to limit their water use because of extremely low water pressure across the parish. Boil water advisories remain in place for much of Southeast Louisiana.
Monday 7:05 a.m.
St. Tammany Parish 9-1-1 systems are down, and most cell service is out of commission for the parish, according to the St. Tammany Fire District #13. Residents are being told to stay inside until conditions improve.
Monday 7 a.m.
Jefferson Parish is issuing a mandatory curfew, effective immediately, for the entire parish until Tuesday at 6 a.m. The city of Covington has been placed under a boil water advisory until further notice due to possible pressure issues caused by Hurricane Ida.
Monday 6:55 a.m.
CenterPoint crews from Houston are now rolling out to help Louisianans who do not have electricity. Crews warn it could take days, if not weeks, to get power restored to all. Watch and read KHOU 11 Reporter Michelle Choi's report here.
Monday 6:50 a.m.
In Kenner, crews have already begun moving downed tree branches out of the road.
Jefferson Parish residents are still being advised to stay in place until more of the roads can be cleared of hazards.
Monday 6:35 a.m.
It is officially dawn in Louisiana, as the sun has begun to rise after Hurricane Ida swept through the state. Emergency crews are beginning to head out into the streets to see the damage and assess how long it will be before residents can return. Power remains out for at least a million people, including the entire city of New Orleans.
Monday 6:25 a.m.
Captain Brennan Matherne with the Lafourche Parish Sheriff's Office tells WWL-TV the parish will be without power for weeks. There is no running water south of Raceland, and there is flooding in Bayou Blue because of levee issues.
Monday 6:15 a.m.
Cell service outages have been reported across the state. Baton Rouge, the northshore and New Orleans seem to be some of the hardest hit by these outages, but communication infrastructure throughout Southeast Louisiana has taken a beating and will likely have spotty service for at least the next several days.
There is still some heavy rainfall in Southeast Louisiana as feeder bands for Ida pass through the area. The state will still see some impacts from the storm today, but the worst is over for the state. Tropical Storm Ida is continuing north into Mississippi with winds of 60 mph.
Monday 6 a.m.
KHOU 11's Xavier Walton reports on what the last 24 hours have been like in New Orleans. He speaks with a tourist who got stuck there during the hurricane: read and watch the story here.
Monday 5:30 a.m.
You can watch KHOU 11 Meteorologist Chita Craft's latest update on Tropical Storm Ida here:
Monday 5 a.m.
St. Bernard Parish President Guy McInnis said Hurricane Ida was the worst storm he had ever seen. "It was relentless from 7 a.m. until maybe an hour ago, and every now and then we're still getting some gusts," he said. "This was something that I've never seen before."
Monday 4:55 a.m.
The Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office is reporting problems with their 9-1-1 system. Anybody who needs help in Jefferson Parish should call 504-227-1400. Deputies are on the road now assessing damage from the storm. Anybody who can avoid traveling or going outside should remain in place for the time being.
Monday 4:30 a.m.
The 9-1-1 system in New Orleans is down, officials say. Residents in need of help are being told to go to the nearest fire station or NOPD officer. It's unclear what has caused the outage or how long it will last.
Monday 4 a.m.
The National Hurricane Center has downgraded Ida to a tropical storm with max sustained winds at 60 mph. Ida is moving north at 8 mph.
Here are some of the latest images from our sister station WWLTV in NOLA:
Below are key updates from the NCH at this hour:
1. Dangerous storm surge inundation will continue through this morning along portions of the coast between Grand Isle, Louisiana, to Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. Overtopping of local levees outside of the Hurricane and Storm Damage Risk Reduction System is possible where local inundation values may be higher.
2. Damaging winds, especially in gusts, will continue to spread inland near the track of Ida's center into southwestern Mississippi through this morning and early afternoon. These winds will likely lead to widespread tree damage and power outages.
3. Ida will continue to produce heavy rainfall tonight through Tuesday morning across portions of southeast Louisiana, coastal Mississippi, and southwestern Alabama resulting in considerable to life-threatening flash and urban flooding and significant riverine flooding impacts. As Ida moves inland, considerable flooding impacts are possible across portions of the Lower Mississippi Valley, Tennessee Valley, Ohio Valley, Central and Southern Appalachians, and Mid-Atlantic through Wednesday.
Sunday 11 p.m.
The first death related to Hurricane Ida has been reported.
Authorities with the Ascension Parish Sheriff's Office said a person died when a tree fell at a house in Prairieville.
Sunday 10:30 p.m.
KHOU 11 Reporter Xavier Walton reported from New Orleans of the damage there.
Sunday 10:07 p.m.
As soon as it's safe to do so, patients at two hospitals will be moved to other facilities.
Sunday 10 p.m.
KHOU 11 reporter Marcelino Benito is in Slidell, where trees are down everywhere.
Sunday, 7:40 p.m.
All of New Orleans is without power due to 'catastrophic damage' to Entergy's transmission system. Here's what we know.
Sunday, 5 p.m.
Crews from Houston will help get the power back on in Louisiana. CenterPoint crews will head to Baton Rouge tomorrow. There are around 200 workers total to do repairs. And Entergy Texas tells us workers from our area are already in Lake Charles waiting to find out how they can help. They are employees who will oversee contract workers in the field.
Sunday 2:25 p.m.
A crew from WWL noticed a roof damaged by Hurricane Ida's winds in the French Quarter. Here's video.
Sunday, 2:20 p.m.
Louisiana Governor John Edwards is giving an update on Hurricane Ida. Watch live WWL-TV coverage here.
Sunday, 2:05 p.m.
Hurricane Ida has made a second landfall in Louisiana.
Sunday, 1:45 p.m.
Hurricane Ida is leaving a mark on southeastern Louisiana. A viewer sent these photos of flooding to our sister station, WWL,
Sunday 1:20 p.m.
Power outages are a big issue right now in Louisiana. More than 200,000 are in the dark.
Sunday 12:50 p.m.
CBS News' David Begnaud reports that EMS services have been suspended due to high winds.
Sunday 12 p.m.
Hurricane Ida has made landfall as a Category 4 storm with winds of 150 miles per hour
Sunday 11:30 a.m.
New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell gives update on Hurricane Ida as it nears landfall. Watch live here.
Sunday 11 a.m.
Hurricane Ida remains a Category 4 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 150 miles per hour. Gusts are reaching 185 miles per hour. Landfall could be within the hour.
Sunday 10 a.m.
The 10 a.m. update is out and Hurricane Ida remains a Category 4. It is still possible to strengthen before landfall, which will be in the next few hours.
Conditions around Louisiana are worsening. Marcelino Benito shot this video from along I-10.
Houston ready to help our neighbors from Louisiana.
Sunday 9 a.m.
Xavier Walton was out on the French Quarter ahead of Hurricane Ida, where he noticed the wind was picking up.
Sunday 8:40 a.m.
Reporter Michelle Choi is at the Baytown Buc-ees, where she's spoken with people who are getting out of the path of the storm.
Sunday 8:10 a.m.
Ida remains a Category 4 hurricane with winds at 150 miles per hour.
We have crews in New Orleans reporting for both KHOU 11 and our sister station, WWL, in New Orleans.
Sunday 7:30 a.m.
Hurricane Ida has the chance to become a Category 5 hurricane before landfall.
Sunday 6:50 a.m.
Ida is still hours from landfall, but WWL is reporting that there are already thousands without power.
Sunday 6 a.m.
Ida keeps getting stronger. The Cat. 4 hurricane now has maximum sustained winds at 150 miles per hour. If it gets to 156 miles per hour, it would become a Category 5 storm.
Storm surge is going to be a major problem with this storm. Meteorologist Chita Craft explains the dangers of storm surge.
Sunday 5 a.m.
Ida is now a major Category 4 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 145 miles per hour. It's bearing down on the Louisiana coast. Conditions are deteriorating and will continue to do so today.
Saturday 10 p.m.
At 10 p.m. Saturday, the storm had maximum sustained winds of 105 miles per hour. It's moving to the northwest at 16 miles per hour. Rapid intensification is expected today.
Saturday 7:10 p.m.
Large crowds can be seen at Louis Armstong New Orleans International Airport as people try to get out of town ahead of the storm. The airport said all arriving and departing flights scheduled for Sunday have been canceled.
Saturday 7 p.m.
At 7 p.m. Saturday, the storm had maximum sustained winds of 105 miles per hour. It's moving to the northwest at 16 miles per hour. Rapid intensification is expected today. The storm is located 285 miles southeast of Houma, La.
Saturday 6 p.m.
Time is running out for those who want to evacuate before Hurricane Ida makes landfall.
For those who have evacuated, many made a routine stop at Buc-ees to refuel.
Saturday 5:30 p.m.
The Texas Department of Public Safety is asking that motorists be patient and reduce speeds on I-10 heading west. They are seeing high traffic volumes as people continue to leave Louisiana ahead of Hurricane Ida.
Saturday 5 p.m.
The Louisiana State football team is headed to Houston ahead of Hurricane Ida.
Saturday 4 p.m.
At 4 p.m. Saturday, the storm had maximum sustained winds of 105 miles per hour. It's moving to the northwest at 16 miles per hour. Rapid intensification is expected today.
The storm is located 325 miles southeast of Houma, La.
Saturday 2:30 p.m.
As people continue to try and leave Louisiana ahead of Hurricane Ida, KHOU 11's says he has started to see the first sign of issues getting gas for vehicles in Lafayette, La.
Saturday 1 p.m.
Hurricane Ida has strengthened into a Category 2 hurricane with 100 mph winds. Rapid strengthening is expected to continue with landfall still expected for Sunday afternoon just south of New Orleans as a Category 4 hurricane.
Saturday 12:45 p.m.
The traffic is picking up along I-10 as our neighbors in Louisiana evacuate the state ahead of Hurricane Ida.
KHOU 11's Marcelino Benito captured this video of a long line of cars heading westbound on I-10 at the TX/LA border.
The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office in Beaumont is asking its residents to avoid I-10 if all possible due to the traffic backup.
Saturday 12:20 p.m.
Travelers from Louisiana continue to make their way to Texas to escape Hurricane Ida before it makes landfall Sunday. On Saturday, families were stopping at one of the Houston-area Buc-ees to gas up. KHOU 11's Melissa Correa was there. She said some of them say they have no idea when they will be able to go back home.
Saturday 12:15 p.m.
Businesses in New Orleans are racing to board up their storefronts to protect them from Hurricane Ida as it continues on its path toward Louisiana. KHOU 11's Xavier Walton is there as they prepare for its arrival.
Saturday 10:30 a.m.
The Cajun Navy tweeted that they're deploying assets to staging areas in Louisiana for Hurricane Ida.
Saturday 10 a.m.
The 10 a.m. update from the National Hurricane Center has Hurricane Ida maintaining winds of 85 mph.
"The center of Ida will move over the southeastern Gulf of Mexico today and move over the central Gulf of Mexico tonight and early Sunday. Ida is then expected to make landfall along the U.S. northern Gulf coast within the hurricane warning area on Sunday, and then move inland over portions of Louisiana or western Mississippi later on Monday." according to NHC.
Saturday 8:55 a.m.
The city of New Orleans is telling people today is the day to get out of the path of Hurricane Ida.
And an urgent warning is coming from the National Weather Service in New Orleans.
