Rescue operations underway in Louisiana as Ida death toll expected to rise

NEW ORLEANS - Nearly all of Louisiana lost electrical power on Monday after one of the most powerful hurricanes to strike the region downed power lines, littered roads with debris and flooded isolated communities south of New Orleans.

At least one person was killed in Louisiana and more fatalities were expected, Governor John Bel Edwards told media, as Ida grinded north as a tropical storm. Virtually no one in the state has electricity and many water systems are also out, the governor said. Emergency 911 service was not available in New Orleans, which is 100 miles (160 km) from where Ida made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane. Energy company Entergy said customers in the hardest-hit areas could experience power outages for weeks.