Hurricane Ida continues to advance through Louisiana after making landfall as a strong Category 4 hurricane on Sunday afternoon, as Ida comes on the 16th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, a Category 3 hurricane that devastated the Gulf Coast, killing more than 1,800 people and leaving more than of $100 billion in damages in its wake.
Briefing with governors and mayors affected by Hurricane Ida, President Joe Biden pledged full government support, "We are there to help you get back on your feet," Biden said.
Biden continued, "We are in close contact with local electricity providers to see what they need, they are all private providers that we don't control, but we are doing everything we can to reduce the amount of time it takes to take it to restore power," according to ABC News.
This comes as Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards said he estimates that nearly two million people are without electricity.
Edwards said that a US Coast Guard helicopter crew rescued 7 patients from a hospital in Loughborough Parish after strong winds tore its roof off, while Mayor Latoya Cantrell said at least one death was reported in New Orleans, bringing Ida's death toll to at least two. A 60-year-old man died on Sunday when a tree fell on his home, officials said.
"We haven't had another Katrina, we should all be grateful," Cantrell said, adding that New Orleans has a few collapsed buildings but no widespread destruction.
However, electricity is out across the city, and the mayor stressed that residents should take shelter, away from their homes until further notice, as many flash flood warnings remain in effect in parts of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida.
Gasoline price hike
In a related; Experts said gasoline prices across the United States are likely to rise in the next two weeks as Hurricane Ida disrupts the fuel supply, according to CBS News.
Nearly 95% of oil and gas production in the Gulf Coast was shut down with Ida arriving in the region on Sunday, according to energy research firm S&P Global Platts. chaos in the area.
Colonial Pipeline, the largest US oil pipeline operator, has temporarily halted fuel shipments from Houston to Greensboro, North Carolina, as a precaution during the hurricane's downturn.
Experts said shutting down energy facilities will lead to temporary increases in gas prices. Patrick de Haan, head of petroleum analysis at research firm GasBuddy, said in a tweet on Twitter that prices are likely to rise by at least 5 cents a gallon nationwide. It could rise further, but he does not expect a significant increase in gas costs.
Other experts believe fuel prices could rise further, with Brian Bethune, an economist at Boston College, predicting that gas could jump at least 20 cents a gallon depending on how long production stops.
The price of a gallon of regular gas has averaged about $3.08 in recent weeks, up from about $2.16 in January, according to the US Energy Information Administration, and as of midday on Monday, crude oil prices were up 0.5% to $69.07.
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