With Hurricane Ida conditions already moving through New Orleans, Mayor LaToya Cantrell's administration urged residents to stay home and hunker down because public safety officials would not be able to help until conditions improve.
"There is nobody coming right now — you need to stay inside," Collin Arnold, director of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, said.
Hurricane Ida is expected to bring with it life-threatening conditions, including sustained winds up to 100 mph, 15 to 20 inches of rain, uprooted trees and downed power lines. Along with emergency services being put on pause until the worst of the storm is out of the way, Tyrell Morris, executive director of the Orleans Parish Communication District, said the city was experiencing issues with its 911 system, but it's been resolved.
However, 911 should only be called for life-threatening emergencies, he added.
"All public safety agencies are making decisions on whether to respond — it could be delayed," Morris said.
As power outages start to spread across New Orleans, officials said Entergy would also not be able to do anything until it is safe for crews to fix power-related issues.
Shaun Ferguson, New Orleans Police Department superintendent, said officers would need to hunker down at some point and told residents to "do your due diligence" and to not loot.
While city officials urge residents to stay inside until at least tomorrow, they also asked that those in New Orleans conserve water over the next day or so.
Officials were notified during the press conference that Entergy is investigating a substation that has lost power. City councilmember Helana Moreno said they believe a breaker has malfunctioned.
The Causeway Bridge, which connects the north shore to the Eastbank in Jefferson Parish, will be inaccessible to drivers starting at 11 a.m. Sunday, Causeway Police said.
08/29/2021 The Causeway Bridge will be closed at 11am due to the hurricane.
— Causeway PD / GNOEC (@Causeway_Police) August 29, 2021
Along with the major bridge closure, officials are urging residents still in the New Orleans metro area to stay in place and hunker down ahead of Ida's arrival, which is expected to bring sustained winds up to 150 mph, storm surges up to 16 feet, heavy rain, flooding and even tornados. Those severe weather conditions started Sunday morning.
⚠️ If you are in Hurricane #Ida’s path, your only job right now is to stay safely in place. Find the safest place in your house, ride out the storm and stay there until the storm passes. ⚠️ #lagov #lawx
— John Bel Edwards (@LouisianaGov) August 29, 2021
Before Sunday, some parishes in the area made evacuations mandatory, including Terrebonne, St. Charles and Lafourche.
New Orleans officials on Friday said it was too late to issue mandatory evacuations because of how rapidly Ida had intensified, but said those choosing to evacuate should leave the city no later than Saturday night.
Stay with WWNO for the latest Hurricane Ida updates.
