The category four hurricane is expected to be one of the most devastating storms since Katrina ravaged the New Orleans coastline in 2005.
The Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office said on Facebook that deputies responded to a home in Louisiana’s capital city on a report of someone injured by a fallen tree. The person has since been pronounced dead.
Hurricane Ida has left 750,000 homes in New Orleans without power as it continues to intensify.
President Biden says that he expects “life-threatening” destruction.
The hurricane officially made landfall in the US state of Louisiana earlier today with 240km/h wind gusts and record rainfall.
Thousands of people have already fled the state, with authorities now warning that it is too late to leave.
The National Hurricane Centre (NHC) expects the category four hurricane to be one of the most powerful storms within the last century.
“Catastrophic wind damage will occur near the core of Ida as it moves inland over southeastern Louisiana during the next few hours,” the NHC warns.
“These winds will likely lead to widespread tree damage and power outages.”
On Sunday, Louisiana saw sustained winds of 150mph.
Despite slowing down and seeing a drop in wind gusts throughout the day, widespread damage occurred along the coast.
More than 400,000 homes were left without power by mid-afternoon and roofs, trees and even ferries were left with little chance, blowing away in the strong wind gusts.
Hurricane Ida also turned the mighty Mississippi River on its head quite literally, with the river seen temporarily flowing from south to north.
Major concerns for medical facilities
There are major concerns growing for medical facilities.
It’s expected that hundreds of victims will require medical attention from hospitals already overrun with COVID patients.
There is also extensive roof damage to Lady of the Sea General Hospital in Lafourche Parish close to where Ida made landfall.
“Once again we find ourselves dealing with a natural disaster in the midst of a pandemic,” says Jennifer Avegno, the top health official for New Orleans.
Louisiana governor, John Bell Edwards, says Ida is close to following in the footsteps of powerful storm, Hurricane Katrina.
“This is not the kind of storm that we normally get,” he told the Associated Press.
“This is going to be much stronger than we usually see and, quite frankly, if you had to draw up the worst possible path for a hurricane in Louisiana, it would be something very, very close to what we’re seeing.”
16 year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Ida comes 16 years to the day following the devastation of Katrina which tore up the coasts of Mississippi and Louisiana in 2005.
The category three storm killed 1800 people with repercussions from the storm lasting several years.
Britain is facing a surge in cold weather, with icy conditions and fog expected for much of this week
The UK Met Office has issued a Yellow warning, which means there could be damage to buildings as Britons brace for cold conditions.
Like much of Europe, the UK are bracing for very strong winds on Wednesday, causing disruption to travel and some utilities.
Drivers are also urged to take extra care on the roads, with warnings in place for icy stretches forming on UK roads.
But some residents who are seeking to heat their homes are on edge, as power prices remain high.
Peter Smith is the director of policy and advocacy at National Energy Action, who said the rising cost of living is impacting Britons.
“The average annual bill has almost doubled since this time last year.”
The organisation seeks to close the gaps when it comes to energy affordability. It predicts 6.7 million UK households will be in fuel poverty in the coming months.
This means millions of Britons will be unable to afford living in a warm, dry and safe home.
“So far the milder than usual weather has protected many from the spiralling bills as they haven’t needed to heat their homes as high or as long as usual,” Mr Smith said.
How to keep warm without blowing your bill
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has urged people to make their own decisions, as he met with world leaders in tropical Bali last week.
“There are things that we can do—all of us—to improve the efficiency with which we use energy, to be careful about it,” he said.
For example, an efficient heater; taking advantage of the sun, where appropriate; and rearranging furniture are some cost-effective methods to reduce the burden on gas and energy bills.
In addition, there are some other cheap ways to reduce dependence on gas and electricity bills, as the temperature continue to plunge.
close off rooms you’re not using
lower the temperature of heating
make sure windows are fully closed
block cold drafts from under doors using door snakes or carpet.
The UK Government has placed a cap freeze on energy prices.
This means households will pay an average £2,500 on their energy bills. But there is a catch: if households use more, they pay more.
National Energy Action believes an additional 2.2 million homes could be in fuel poverty, when compared to the same time last year.
Why are energy prices so high?
As demand increases, so too does the cost of heating homes.
But there is another factor, which has sent prices rising across Europe: the war in Ukraine.
Poland President Andrezj Duda spoke to a hoaxer posing as France counterpart Emmanuel Macron, on the night a missile hit near the Poland-Ukraine border.
The news was confirmed after two Russian pranksters, Vovan and Lexus, posted a recording of the incident, and Duda’s office also affirmed the incident.
During the call, Duda was asking who was responsible for the attack on November 15, wanting to avoid a war with Russia.
The missile landed six kilometres from the border.
Initial reports suggested the missile was Russian-made, but it was later discovered to likely be a Ukrainian air defence missile.
This is the second time the pranksters have targeted the Poland President, who have made their names going after celebrities and politicians, especially those opposed to the Kremlin.
Russian missile hits Poland, as the west assesses the attack on a NATO member
Reports a Russian missile has landed in Poland, killing two people. A projectile struck an area where grain was drying in the village of Przewodów, near the Ukraine border.
An anonymous U.S. intelligence official suggested a barrage of Russian missiles hit the Ukrainian power grid, and spilt into neighbouring Poland.
Poland is a NATO member, therefore, this signifies a potential escalation to the ongoing war. It also marks the first time weapons have impacted a NATO country.
Emergency talks
Currently, the Polish government are holding urgent talks. A Polish spokesman Piotr Mueller has confirmed that top leaders are holding an emergency meeting regarding the “crisis situation.”
Under Article 5 of NATO, an attack on one country is considered an attack on all.
The White House has not confirmed the reports but the Pentagon is assessing the situation.
While NATO has taken collective defence measures on several occasions, including in response to the situation in Syria and the Russian invasion of Ukraine—it has only invoked Article 5 once.
For the first time in its history after the 9/11 terrorist attacks against the United States, NATO evoked Article 5 and came to the defence of the United States.