Hurricane Ida: Thousands could face weeks without power in Louisiana

A barge damages a bridge that divides Lafitte, Louisiana, and Jean Lafitte, in the aftermath of Hurricane Ida (David J Phillip/AP)

Louisiana communities battered by Hurricane Ida face the possibility of weeks without power in the stifling, late summer heat as they begin the task of clearing debris and repairing damage from the storm.

Ida ravaged the region’s power grid, leaving the entire city of New Orleans and hundreds of thousands of other Louisiana residents in the dark with no clear timeline on when power would return.