Hurricane Ida left more than a million people without power, possibly for weeks, and now the scorching heat is coming.

(CNN) – The Gulf of Mexico coast continues to assess the consequences and launch rescue missions after Ida makes landfall as a hurricane, and authorities say that in some areas it could take until next month for power to be restored.

The desperation of those who weathered the storm can be seen in the four- to five-hour queues that formed at the one or two gas stations that were still open in the San Bernardo district, said Council Member Richard Lewis. Many stocked up for their generators, preparing to endure the time it would take for their communities to reopen.

In some parts of the Jefferson district, power is expected to be out for at least three to four weeks, according to an update from Jefferson City Councilman Ricky Templet. And St. Charles district officials said Monday that the area is “very likely” without power for a month, according to a Facebook post.

Since making landfall on the Gulf Coast as a Category 4 storm on Sunday on the 16th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, Ida has weakened into a tropical depression, with sustained winds of 35 miles per hour, according to the National Center for Hurricanes The storm was located 80 miles north-northeast of Jackson, Mississippi, as of 10 p.m. Monday and was heading toward Tennessee, parts of which are still recovering from deadly flooding.

Heavy rains in Mississippi washed away part of Highway 26 – a major artery between Mississippi and Louisiana – leaving two dead and 10 others injured, according to Police Officer Cal Robertson. Seven vehicles fell into a hole created by the landslide, which was about 50 feet long and 20 feet deep, Robertson said.

In Louisiana, downed power lines, impassable roads and obstacles for rescue workers have prompted many local officials to ask residents who evacuated not to return yet. And for those who waited for the storm at home, many will face temperatures of up to 39 degrees Celsius without access to electricity.

The National Weather Service issued a heat advisory for southern Louisiana and Mississippi from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (local time) Tuesday. According to the NWS, heat is the leading cause of weather-related fatalities in the United States. More than 2 million people in the area are under the heat advisory, CNN meteorologist Michael Guy said.

Meanwhile, more than a million customers in Louisiana, 60,000 in Mississippi and 16,000 in Alabama are without power, according to PowerOutage.US.

Teams rush to fix the problem. More than 25,000 workers from at least 32 states and the District of Columbia have been mobilized to support power restoration efforts throughout Louisiana, the Edison Electrical Institute (EEI) said in a statement Monday.

But when it comes to power outages, “nothing is a quick fix,” New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell said Monday.

“As power is dependent on generators, I am calling on all of our people and businesses that have capacity in the city to be good neighbors,” Cantrell said. “Share the energy you have, open your businesses with people to recharge their devices,” he added.

It can be difficult to get help

Many hazards, such as toppled structures, impassable roads and remaining flooding, are also affecting the ability of authorities to send aid.

Louisiana State Police (LSP) told stranded residents Monday: “It can be difficult to get help for you for quite a while.”

While troops continue to help clear the roads, “the full extent of the damage has yet to be seen.” Search and rescue workers are still unable to access certain areas, said an LSP Facebook post.

“A large part of the travel routes are blocked by downed trees and power lines. Also, in some areas there is standing water that can deteriorate roads and carry vehicles away. Debris is also scattered throughout the area, which can make it difficult a lot of navigating our roads, “said the LSP.

Paul Middendorf spent hours this Monday rescuing people in LaPlace, Louisiana, with his canoe, as a volunteer with the Crowdsource Rescue group after Ida’s passage.

“Most (of the rescues) were in the attic,” he said. “The water at the back of that neighborhood was 10 feet deep or more,” he described.

As the hours passed, Middendorf said the water began to recede. Although it was only knee deep in places, it continues to reach chest deep with a strong current in many areas that are still flooded in LaPlace, he said.

Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards said Monday that he knows there are people waiting to be rescued and that the state has deployed “thousands of people” to assist in search and rescue efforts after Ida.

“We have thousands of people right now with high water vehicles and boats that are doing search and rescue. We have dozens of helicopters,” Edwards said, adding that the state “is doing everything possible to reach all the individuals that they need help”.

And for those who evacuated, dangerous conditions can keep them away from their homes for some time, too.

Those seeking to return to the Lafourche district could be delayed for up to a week, officials said Monday, even as crews work “all day to clear the roads.”

“Lafourche district roads are currently impassable and will be for some time,” the district said.

Dangerous road conditions contributed to the second storm-related death, the Louisiana Department of Health said Monday.
According to the department, a man drowned after trying to drive his vehicle through floodwater near I-10 and West End Blvd in New Orleans.

The first death from the storm occurred when a tree fell on a home in Prairieville, the Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office said Sunday.

Hours of agony

Possible weeks of hardship follow a night of harrowing experiences for many in the wake of Hurricane Ida.

LaPlace resident Don Dottolo said Sunday night was more than he and his wife, Karen, thought they were going to face. “Of course, I was expecting the water. I can deal with the water,” he said.

But Karen Dottolo said the water was deeper than expected. He began to enter his house when it got dark.

“We were scared for a while because he was going upstairs,” he described.

The couple told CNN they have been through multiple hurricanes, including Hurricane Andrew in 1992. “That was scary, but it was a scary 10 minutes,” Don Dottolo said. “These were hours of agony,” he said.

No deaths or injuries have been reported in St. Tammany, but District President Mike Cooper told CNN his district experienced widespread damage and power outages as much of the area.

“We just had a horrendous night with winds, rain, gusts, rising water, rising rivers, power outages,” Cooper said. “It’s unbelievable.”

Hospitals Respond and Tennessee Prepares

In the aftermath of Hurricane Ida, many Gulf Coast hospitals are struggling to continue treating patients amid the damage. Four Louisiana hospitals were evacuated Monday, Edwards said.

“First of all, we really need to get our hospitals back up and running again, so that people in ICU wards and on ventilators, etc., can continue to receive the vital care they need,” Edwards said. . “That is always important. It is certainly important, even more, due to the Covid situation,” he added.

As the storm continues to move north, Tennessee authorities prepare to feel the impacts.

The National Guard, Tennessee Department of Transportation and volunteer agencies continue to clean up after a devastating and deadly flood earlier this month in the city of Waverly, and the area is now preparing for potential impacts from Ida. The August 21 flood in Humphreys County claimed 20 lives.

In preparation for possible flash floods, county homeowners were reviewing the damage to their homes before the storm to grab any valuables that had survived the last flood.

Rebekah Riess, Keith Allen, Kay Jones, Gregory Lemos, Paul Pr. Murphy, Amanda Watts, and Jenn Selva contributed to this report.