Almost 800 rescued in St. John the Baptist Parish after Hurricane Ida

PHOTO: A fallen tree is pictured in a flooded neighborhood in LaPlace, Louisiana on August 30, 2021 in the aftermath of Hurricane Ida.

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Hurricanes explained by Ginger Zee

Ida is barreling through Louisiana after making landfall in the state as a powerful Category 4 hurricane on Sunday afternoon.

It was one of the strongest hurricanes on record -- by both wind speed and pressure -- to roar ashore in Louisiana.

Ida, now a tropical storm, is hitting on the 16-year anniversary of Katrina, a Category 3 hurricane that ravaged the Gulf Coast. Hurricane Katrina unleashed a series of events, taking the lives of more than 1,800 people and leaving more than $100 billion worth of damage in its wake.

Aug 31, 2021 2:13 AM

Almost 800 rescued in St. John the Baptist Parish

Officials with St. John the Baptist Parish held a press conference Monday night, saying “almost 800 people” have been rescued after extreme flooding due to Hurricane Ida.

“This is one of the worst natural disasters I've ever seen in St. John,” Parish President Jaclyn Hotard said.

Remarkably, Hotard said there have been no reported fatalities in the parish from the storm.

“All of the missions were successful,” Hotard said. “Every call that came in for someone to be rescued out of their home, they have been rescued out of their home.”

The hard-hit town of Laplace is in St John the Baptist Parish.

-ABC News' Matt Foster

Aug 31, 2021 12:51 AM

Tulane cancels in-person learning until October, sets up Houston hub for students

Tulane University announced Monday night that it would cancel all in-person classes until Oct. 6.

The campus is closed and all classes will be canceled until Sept. 13, the university tweeted. The semester began last week.

Wolfgang Kaehler/LightRocket via Getty Images

The greens on St. Charles Avenue in front of Gibson Hall at Tulane University in New Orleans, April 18, 2008.

Wolfgang Kaehler/LightRocket via Getty Images

The school is establishing a hub in Houston to provide food and lodging at Tulane’s expense for students until they can get flights home.

"Beginning tomorrow at 10AM, we will evacuate all remaining students (undergraduate & graduate; in-residence & off-campus) to Houston via bus," the school tweeted.

Emergency funds will also be available for students, according to Tulane.

Aug 31, 2021 12:18 AM

3rd storm-related death confirmed

Deano Bonano, a councilman for District 2 in Jefferson Parish, told ABC News that there has been one confirmed fatality in his parish from Hurricane Ida.

Details about the death and the identity of the victim weren't immediately available.

-ABC News' Darren Reynolds

Aug 30, 2021 11:42 PM

20,000 workers out assessing damage, restoring power

An anticipated storm team of more than 20,000 and growing has begun assessing Ida's damage and restoring power, according to Louisiana's utility companies.

Damage assessment could take several days, since many areas are currently inaccessible either by roadways, officials at Entergy Louisiana said Monday afternoon.

While 90% of customers will be restored sooner, customers in the hardest-hit areas should plan for the possibility of experiencing extended power outages, according to Entergy.

"This will be a marathon, not a sprint," Deanna Rodriguez, Entergy New Orleans' president and CEO said in a statement.

Aug 30, 2021 7:18 PM

Louisiana damage 'catastrophic,' governor says

In a briefing with governors and mayors affected by Hurricane Ida, President Joe Biden vowed full government support.

"We're there to help you get back on your feet," Biden said.

Devika Krishna Kumar/Reuters

The Shell Norco manufacturing facility is flooded after Hurricane Ida pummeled Norco, La., Aug. 30, 2021.

Devika Krishna Kumar/Reuters

David J. Phillip/AP

Jeremy Hodges removes a light from his family's destroyed storage unit in the aftermath of Hurricane Ida, Aug. 30, 2021, in Houma, La.

David J. Phillip/AP

Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards said he estimated nearly 2 million are without power.

Biden said, "We're in close contact with local electric providers to see what they need. They are all private providers. We don't control that, but we're doing all we can to minimize the amount of time it is going to take to get power back up."

In the meeting, Edwards touted the success of the levee system, saying none of them were breached. But, he added, "Damage is still catastrophic."

David J. Phillip/AP

Rene Hebert cleans out the family's destroyed offices as cleans up in the aftermath of Hurricane Ida, Aug. 30, 2021, in Houma, La.

David J. Phillip/AP

Edwards said a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter crew rescued seven patients from a hospital in Lafourche Parish after its roof was ripped off by the powerful winds.

-ABC News' Sarah Kolinovsky