“Ida” hit the coast of the US state at the end of August as a four-out-of-five hurricane. Due to the storm-related power outages, there were further deaths – due to overheating.
New Orleans – After Hurricane Ida, the authorities in the southern US state of Louisiana revised up the number of fatalities as a result of the cyclone.
The health department said that up to and including Monday nine people had died from overheating as a result of the storm-related power outages, and two more from carbon poisoning. The official balance now shows 26 fatalities, the last was 15.
Because of the ongoing power outages after the storm, hundreds of thousands of people were unable to use their air conditioning despite the summer heat. Because of the power outages, many also used generators, which pose a risk of poisoning without adequate ventilation and distance from the house.
300,000 households still without electricity
“Ida” hit the Louisiana coast southwest of the city of New Orleans on August 29 as a dangerous four-out-of-five hurricane coming from the Gulf of Mexico. The hurricane caused massive damage, most recently around 300,000 households in the state still had no electricity.
“Ida” moved on in a northeasterly direction and weakened overland. At the end of last week, the remnants of the storm in the northeastern United States caused severe weather and catastrophic floods. According to US media, at least 46 people were killed in the New York region. dpa
