A Louisiana male who drowned inside his car or truck has been confirmed as the 2nd loss of life from Hurricane Ida, state officials mentioned Monday.
The male, who was not identified, died on Interstate-10 whilst striving to push by means of floodwaters, the Lousiana Department of Health and fitness announced on Twitter.
“LDH unfortunately confirms the death of a male who drowned immediately after his car or truck tried to go by way of floodwater in close proximity to I-10 and West End Blvd. in New Orleans,” the put up said. “His age is mysterious at this time pending ID of the victim.”
On Sunday evening authorities said a 60-year-aged man was crushed to demise when his vehicle was hit by a falling tree in Ascension Parish — the to start with casualty of the storm soon after it slammed Louisiana as a Category 4 hurricane.
Louisiana’s Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards explained Monday that officials be expecting the death toll from the monster storm to increase “considerably” as research and rescue crews branch out.
Ida slammed the Louisiana coastline with 150-mph winds and dangerous storm surges, knocking out electric power to extra than 1 million utility buyers, downing trees and sparking flash floods that have stranded hundreds of people.
Ida weakened to a tropical storm just after producing landfall but is expected to provide significant rains, flash floods and hazardous storm conditions as a result of considerably of the US Southeast via late Wednesday.
Ida also hit the state’s hospitals tough, compounding the COVID-19 disaster in Louisiana that has well being treatment services at capacity — forcing four to absolutely evacuate.
Ochsner Health, the state’s biggest medical center technique, explained a lot more than 160 people ended up being moved Monday as turbines unsuccessful following the storm ripped off roofs and flooded several services, NOLA.com described.
Other hospitals claimed “significant damage” from the storm, while some others claimed they were managing reduced on backup electricity Monday.
“I despise to say it this way, but we have a good deal of people on ventilators right now and they really don’t work without having electricity,” Bel Edwards explained.
Lousiana has been amongst the states hardest hit by the COVID-19 Delta variant.
In accordance to the Louisiana Division of Wellbeing, the condition has 2,684 COVID clients in hospitals, with the pandemic totals now at additional than 12,000 fatalities and practically 380,000 verified circumstances.