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Hurricane Ida live: Man feared dead in floodwater alligator attack as storm heads towards Tennessee and Ohio

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Stuti Mishra,Lamiat Sabin
Tuesday 31 August 2021 08:15 EDT
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New Orleans’ historic jazz shop collapses during Hurricane Ida

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Hurricane Ida, which hit the American gulf coast on Sunday, has left two people dead and a million others without power.

Another person is feared to have died in Louisiana after he was attacked by an alligator swimming in floodwater near his home. Two more people died after a highway collapsed in the state of Mississippi as a result of the storm.

Widespread flooding has seen homes evacuated, businesses shut down, and almost all buildings in Louisiana left without power.

Hurricane Ida was the fifth-strongest storm to ever hit mainland United States. It was downgraded to a tropical storm on Monday after 16 hours.

However, the National Hurricane Centre also warned that dangerous storm surges, damaging winds, and flash flooding would continue over portions of southeastern Louisiana and southern Mississippi.

President Joe Biden declared the storm – which is heading towards Tennessee and Ohio – a “major disaster.”

Louisiana’s governor John Bel Edwards said that, “if you had to draw up the worst possible path for a hurricane in Louisiana, it would be something very, very close to what we’re seeing”.

He warned that the death toll is expected to rise “considerably” and said recovery from the storm could take months.

The storm also came on the 16th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, which devastated the region in 2005.

Man takes in fawn that swims floodwater to his house

A man took in a baby deer who had swam towards his house after Louisiana became flooded by Hurricane Ida.

The fawn was swimming towards the house of a man, who goes by the handle @danfears3 on Instagram.

Posts on his account show the deer, that he named Buck, following him around the house and sitting on his lap on the sofa.

Another video shows him taking Buck out on the floodwater on his kayak with his dog.

Dan said he was “very fortunate” as a lot of people in his flooded neighbourhood got “severely affected”.

Videos on his Instagram Stories also show him feeding Buck blueberries, honey, and watermelon.

It also appears that two ducks and two chickens also took refuge in his house, that is raised high off the ground.

Lamiat Sabin31 August 2021 11:38

Two die after highway collapses in Mississippi

Two people were killed and at least 10 others were injured when their vehicles plunged into a deep hole where a highway collapsed after Hurricane Ida tore through Mississippi on Monday night.

Mississippi Highway Patrol Cp. Cal Robertson said: “Some of these cars are stacked on top of each other.”

Seven vehicles were involved, including a motorcycle. A crane was brought in to lift them out of the hole up to 30 feet (nine meters) deep.

Lamiat Sabin31 August 2021 12:15

At least four dead as a result of Hurricane Ida

Four people so far are confirmed to have died in Louisiana and Mississippi as a result of Hurricane Ida.

Another man is feared to have been killed in an alligator attack in Louisiana.

The death toll from Hurricane Ida was expected to climb “considerably,” Louisiana’s governor John Bel Edwards has said.

Lamiat Sabin31 August 2021 12:45

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