Hurricane Ida Death Toll Rises to 26 in Louisiana
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Published
Sep 09, 2021
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Ten days have gone by since Hurricane Ida made landfall in Louisiana, but the death toll and damage assessment are still climbing.
According to the Associated Press, since Ida hit Louisiana on August 29, 26 people from Louisiana have died from the storm itself or the damage it left behind.
On Wednesday, Louisiana health officials reported that an additional 11 people between the ages of 64 and 79 perished in the wake of the storm, bringing the total loss of life in the state to 26 people. According to the Louisiana Department of Health, nine of the 11 people perished because of “excessive heat during an extended power outage.” The other two deaths were attributed to carbon monoxide poisoning.
It is unclear when power will be restored in some of the hardest-hit areas around New Orleans.
As the death toll continues to climb, one family is thanking God for keeping them alive.
“God blessed us that we all survived. I can rebuild, you know, I can rebuild. I can put a new house up. I’m not sure if I’m going to do it here or if I’m going to move to Italy,” Louisiana resident Debbie Greco told CBS 42 News just one day after Ida made landfall.
Greco and four other family members were recovered by a rescue team in boats after the first floor of their home was filled with four feet of rushing water. The family had reportedly retreated to the home’s second story to escape the flooding.
As Christian Headlines previously reported, Hurricane Ida hit southeast Louisiana around noon on August 29 as a Category 4 hurricane. The storm yielded winds of up to 150 mph, destroying homes, uprooting trees and downing powerlines. Ida hit Louisiana on the 16th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, a storm that took the lives of 1,833 people, 1,577 of whom were Louisiana residents.
Christian humanitarian aid organizations and churches have been playing a vital role in the relief efforts in the Bayou State.
Just one day after the storm ripped through Louisiana, Samaritan’s Purse deployed several tractor-trailers filled with relief equipment and supplies to the state. Volunteer teams are also on the ground helping residents to clear debris from their yards, patch roofs and clean out flooded homes, the organization said on their website.
Televangelist Joel Osteen’s Texas-based Lakewood Church has also provided aid by giving shelter to more than 100 people displaced by the storm.
Related:
'Pray for Us': Hurricane Ida Leaves Entire City of New Orleans without Electricity
Lakewood Church Offers Refuge to More Than 100 Hurricane Ida Evacuees
Photo courtesy: ©Getty Images/Sean Rayford/Stringer
Kayla Koslosky is the former Editor of ChristianHeadlines.com. She has B.A. degrees in English and History and previously wrote for and was the managing editor of the Yellow Jacket newspaper. She has also contributed to IBelieve.com and Crosswalk.com.
