17 Powerful And Eye-Popping Photos From Before, During, And After Hurricane Ida Made Landfall

On Sunday — the 16th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina — Hurricane Ida made landfall on New Orleans.

1.

The Category 4 storm destroyed buildings, caused 911 power outages, knocked over trees, and led to the confirmed death of one person.

2.

Before making landfall, the National Hurricane Center warned of a storm surge — an abnormally high water rise — that could reach 10 to 15 feet above ground level.

3.

To help prevent flood damage, sandbags were placed in Montegut, Louisiana.

4.

As the storm picked up, winds reached a speed of 150 mph and blew off the roof of a building in the famed French Quarter.

5.

And utility workers fought against the wind’s strength as they waited for the storm to pass before continuing repairs.

6.

The area began to flood, covering neighborhoods and their streets with water.

8.

Residents abandoned cars in the street. One was half submerged in a ditch next to the highway:

10.

Here’s what the building, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, looked like before:

11.

And here’s what it looked like mid-storm:

12.

As a result of Ida’s intensity, all eight of the transmission lines that power New Orleans were out of service, leaving much of the city dark and dependent on generators.

13.

Hundreds of thousands of residents expect to be without power for the next few days until it can be restored to the city.

14.

In the aftermath of the storm, residents across Louisiana inspected the damage left by Ida.

15.

Now, the cleanup process begins.

16.

About 4,900 members of the Louisiana National Guard have set out to assess the damage and aid in search efforts.

17.

Firefighters, police officers, volunteers, helicopters…

18.

…and residents alike are helping restore the city.