The aftermath of Hurricane Ida in Louisiana

One of many businesses devastated by the hurricane was the city’s historic Karofsky Shop. According to Governor John Bel Edwards, the focus now is on rescue and recovery efforts. Repairing the damages will take time, he said.

Seventy-year-old Theophilus Charles sits in his badly damaged home in Houma, Louisiana. US President Joe Biden has promised Washington’s full and long-term support for those affected by the hurricane.

Many homes, like here in Lafitte, experienced extensive flooding after the Category 4 hurricane made landfall. The massive floodwaters also brought destruction further inland, leaving at least two people dead.

Many residents left stranded were rescued by helicopter, as seen here in Laplace, Louisiana. In the southwestern corner of Mississippi, entire neighborhoods were cut off from the outside world — with many roads impassable.

Locals have been stocking up on gas and diesel fuel at area gas stations. The evacuations of the past few days have made it almost impossible to obtain fuel, which is needed to run generators and produce electricity. Hundreds of thousands of households are still without electricity in Louisiana, including New Orleans, with a population of 400,000.

Many in Louisiana have lost everything. Fran Tribe sits with her dog Dave in front of what used to be her house in Houma before Hurricane Ida hit. It will probably take months to rebuild everything.

Jerilyn Collins returned to her devastated home in LaPlace with the help of the Louisiana National Guard to retrieve important medications and personal items for herself and her father. Only a few areas were evacuated before Ida made landfall.