On Aug. 26, Hurricane Ida traveled through New Orleans and parts of the Northeast, leaving a trail of devastation in its wake, including power outages and flooding.
While the brunt of the storm was felt in Louisiana, remnants traveled up to Connecticut, New York and New Jersey, among other places.
According to the Associated Press, three-fourths of New Orleans’ power has been restored, but some communities on the outskirts of the city remain without power or gas.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration estimated “the area was likely to see a hurricane within 50 nautical miles about once every seven years and a major hurricane about every 20.”
Some students have posted videos of houses that are flooded, or cars submerged underwater.
“It was very frustrating to open my car door to rainwater covering the floorboards, but I was glad that it was such a fixable problem,” said senior Kristen Murray. “Many people’s cars were submerged worse than mine, so I was glad that mine could be fixed.”
Because a large number of people were affected, many wonder what will result from future storms, especially since hurricane season is not set to end until Nov. 30.
“After Ida, I am very nervous for the future since climatologists are showing that more severe weather is to come due to climate change and other factors,” said Jessica Waters.
Although there has been mixed information regarding the frequency of storms, there is evidence to support this claim.
According to the Associated Press, “The 2020 hurricane season broke records with 30 named storms, seven major hurricanes of Category 3 strength or higher, and 10 storms that underwent rapid intensification. Since ocean temperature controls the potential intensity of tropical cyclones, climate change is likely behind this trend.”
President Biden also supports this idea after walking through the flooded streets of New York.
According to the Associated Press, he said that it was time for Americans to get serious about climate change and firmly believes that this storm, along with others in the future, will turn skeptics into believers.
Although parts of the United States were affected differently, everyone must deal with similar consequences such as flooding, property losses and electrical outages.
In response to the damages, the White House has asked Congress for $24 billion in disaster aid to cover the costs of Ida and similar storms.
This aid will help areas in Louisiana, New York and New Jersey, along with other states with prevailing damage.
However, there are other ways to help, such as donating to the American Red Cross, Project Hope, World Central Kitchen and others seeking to rebuild communities.
While many have survived Hurricane Ida’s wrath, some are still saddened by the impact that the storm has made on their local communities.
“My house here had no damage or flooding, but back home in New Jersey, I have friends of friends who have lost homes and many belongings due to Ida,” said junior Jessica Waters. “Luckily, my family and friends are safe, but seeing the devastation so close to home was very sad.”
Photo:
TRACKING OF HURRICANE IDA WEEK OF AUG. 26.
