All 384,000 residents of the city of Louisiana in New Orleans are without power following “catastrophic power-grid damage” on primary transmission lines, Intel Pint ALERT reported on Sunday.
The outage is occurring as the category Four hurricane ravages the state, causing “complete devastation” to the city’s power grid, with emergency services reportedly unable to operate.
"Estimates suggest it could take weeks to repair," the post reads.
On Sunday, Hurricane Ida struck Port Fourchon, 60 miles south of New Orleans. Residents of the city were informed via phone messages about the outage and were instructed to stay indoors.
Ida has been accompanied by a massive influx of seawater, raising the level of the Mississippi by at least 7 feet in some parts and changing its flow direction in Louisiana’s southeast. Reports have appeared that some parts of New Orleans have been flooded.
River levels are expected to rise even more over the next several hours and local authorities have issued flood warnings.
Locals have shared videos of the natural disaster on social media, documenting disastrous winds that are damaging trees and buildings in New Orleans, along with strong floods.
Previously, Ida was ranked at number Four out of five hurricane categories and declared one of the strongest in the state's history. Subsequently, experts reported that the hurricane had weakened to a category Three, according to the NWS New Orleans. The hurricane is moving northwestward at a speed of about 12 miles an hour. Tornado warnings have been declared in Alabama, Mississippi and Florida.