Hurricane Ida (2021) - Updated September 9, 2021

September 9, 2021

This is WaterISAC's final update regarding impacts to critical infrastructure from Hurricane Ida. Updated information will likely continue to be available using the links provided below. WaterISAC can also be contacted regarding specific information requests and unmet needs at [email protected] and at (866)H2O-ISAC.

Water and Wastewater Sector

Louisiana's drinking water primacy agency reports there are 201 boil water advisories impacting 572,432 customers in 15 parishes and 31 water system outages impacting 43,945 customers in 11 parishes. Many of the system outages affect water systems serving individual businesses or organizations, such as restaurants, schools, mobile home parks, and factories. Additionally, 91 systems serving 551,810 customers in 12 parishes have been cleared from boil water advisories.
- In its Daily Operations Briefing (posted below), FEMA continues to report the status of Louisiana's "Food, Water, Shelter" community lifeline, which includes water and wastewater utilities, is yellow, indicating it is stabilizing (services disrupted but solution in progress with estimated time to stabilization identified).
Mississippi's drinking water primacy agency reports there are 5 boil water notices related to Hurricane Ida.
In EPA's latest update on Hurricane Ida, it reports it has deployed resources, including mobile drinking water labs and subject matter experts, to help communities impacted by the storm.
In Pennsylvania, Aqua Pennsylvania reports a boil water advisory continues to be active as its repairs damage to the Pickering water treatment plan, its largest, which sustained damage due to the floods caused by the remnants of Hurricane Ida. Noting that it will take some time for full recovery to take place, it asked customers to take all possible measures to curtail water use until further notice.
In its Daily Operations Briefing, FEMA continues to report the status of "Food, Water, Shelter" community lifeline in FEMA Regions II, which includes New Jersey and New York, is green, indicating it is stable.

Energy Sector

In Louisiana, the number of customers without power is approximately 250,000, according to PowerOutage.US. The U.S. Department of Energy's latest daily situation report indicates full restoration in New Orleans East and Orleans Parish was expected September 8 and full restoration to Baton Rouge was expected by September 6. Restoration timelines for the hardest hit areas in the southeast corner of the state extend into the latter half of September.
In Mississippi, less than 500 customers are without power, according to PowerOutage.US.
For retail gas stations, the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) latest daily situation report continues to note widespread power outages, damage, flooding, and access constraints are leading to retail gas station closures in impacted areas. Due to limited availability from power outages, gas stations with power or operating on generator have reported long lines and high demand. The high demand at available stations has lead to temporary fuel outages while stations wait for resupply. Power outages is also limiting availability of some terminals in the affected area. Long lines have been reported at terminals; however, some lines may be due to use of drivers not certified for specific terminals and require safety certification prior to entry. The state is suppling generators to some retail stations.
- In DOE's situation report, it notes New Orleans developed a website for tracking gas station status in Orleans Parish.
- WaterISAC has posted TLP:AMBER reports from its counterpart representing the financial services sector, the Financial Services ISAC (FS-ISAC) indicating the locations of where ATM and credit card transactions were last processed. These locations include retail gas stations, where recent transactions may indicate that they are open and have fuel available for purchase. Access the reports on a separate WaterISAC portal page here.

Communications Sector

The Federal Communications Commission's (FCC's) latest Status Report, issued yesterday, continues to show that the status is improving drastically from previous days' reports.

Transportation Sector

In Louisisana and Mississippi, all interstates appear to be open, with some impacts remaining for secondary roads.
- State-specific updates are available from the Louisiana Department of Transportation reports and the Mississippi Department of Transporation.
In its Daily Operations Briefing, FEMA reports the status of "Transportation" community lifeline in Louisiana is yellow, indicating it is stabilizing (services disrupted but solution in progress with estimated time to stabilization identified). For FEMA Region II, which includes New Jersey and New York, it reports the status is green, indicating it is stable.

CISA and FEMA Business and Infrastructure Stakeholder Hurricane Ida Conference Call

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and FEMA invite critical infrastructure partners to join a Business and Infrastructure Partners Call concerning Hurricane Ida, which convenes at 3 pm ET on days it is being held. These calls include an incident overview, discussions on community lifelines, updates from available FEMA and CISA Regional personnel, and an open forum for questions and information sharing.

CISA and FEMA will hold the final call on Thursday, September 9.

Confirmed Upcoming Date(s): Thursday, September 9 (final call)
Time: 3:00 pm ET
Dial-In #: 1-800-857-6546
Passcode/PIN: 4949693

Infrastructure partners are also invited to access the FEMA National Business Emergency Operations Center (NBEOC) dashboard.

September 7, 2021

WaterISAC is continuing to track impacts to critical infrastructure from Ida.

Water and Wastewater Sector

Louisiana's drinking water primacy agency reports there are 242 boil water advisories impacting 842,067 customers in 15 parishes and 51 water system outages impacting 63,005 customers in 12 parishes. Many of the system outages affect water systems serving individual businesses or organizations, such as restaurants, schools, mobile home parks, and factories. Additionally, 30 systems serving 263,106 customers in 11 parishes have been cleared from boil water advisories.
- In its Daily Operations Briefing (posted below), FEMA continues to report the status of Louisiana's "Food, Water, Shelter" community lifeline, which includes water and wastewater utilities, is yellow, indicating it is stabilizing (services disrupted but solution in progress with estimated time to stabilization identified).
Mississippi's drinking water primacy agency reports there are 12 boil water notices related to Hurricane Ida.
In EPA's latest update on Hurricane Ida, it reports its Region 6 Regional Emergency Operations Center (REOC), Region 4 REOC, and EPA Headquarters Emergency Operations Center are activated. Among other updates, it reports:
- EPA is working with FEMA to provide mobile drinking water labs and subject matter experts to affected communities. On September 2, two water personnel deployed to the field with the state of Louisiana. EPA’s Region 6 and 7 mobile drinking water labs were also sent to the affected area in Region 6 on September 2.
In Pennsylvania, Aqua Pennsylvania reports it is continuing to work to restore normal operations at Pickering water treatment plant, its largest, which sustained damage due to the floods caused by the remnants of Hurricane Ida. Noting that it will take some time for full recovery to take place, it asked customers to take all possible measures to curtail water use until further notice.
In its Daily Operations Briefing, FEMA continues to report the status of "Food, Water, Shelter" community lifeline in FEMA Regions II, which includes New Jersey and New York, is green, indicating it is stable.
There have been some Water/Wastewater Agency Response Network (WARN)/mutual aid actions to assist the water sector. WARNs are not required to report activations so more could be taking place.

Energy Sector

In Louisiana, the number of customers without power is approximately 400,000, according to PowerOutage.US. The U.S. Department of Energy's latest daily situation report indicates full restoration in New Orleans East and Orleans Parish is expected September 8 and full restoration to Baton Rouge is expected September 6, although many customers will be restored before this date. Restoration timelines for the hardest hit areas in the southeast corner of the state extend into the latter half of September.
In Mississippi, less than 1,000 customers are without power, according to PowerOutage.US.
The number of power outages in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast have dropped significantly in the last few days, according to numbers provided by PowerOutage.US.
For retail gas stations, the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) latest daily situation report continues to note widespread power outages, damage, flooding, and access constraints are leading to retail gas station closures in impacted areas. Due to limited availability from power outages, gas stations with power or operating on generator have reported long lines and high demand. The high demand at available stations has lead to temporary fuel outages while stations wait for resupply. Power outages is also limiting availability of some terminals in the affected area. Long lines have been reported at terminals; however, some lines may be due to use of drivers not certified for specific terminals and require safety certification prior to entry. The state is suppling generators to some retail stations.
- In DOE's situation report, it notes New Orleans developed a website for tracking gas station status in Orleans Parish.
- WaterISAC has posted TLP:AMBER reports from its counterpart representing the financial services sector, the Financial Services ISAC (FS-ISAC) indicating the locations of where ATM and credit card transactions were last processed. These locations include retail gas stations, where recent transactions may indicate that they are open and have fuel available for purchase. Access the reports on a separate WaterISAC portal page here.

Communications Sector

The Federal Communications Commission's (FCC's) latest Status Report, issued yesterday, continues to show that the status is improving drastically from previous days' reports.

Transportation Sector

In Louisisana and Mississippi, all interstates appear to be open, with some impacts remaining for secondary roads.
- State-specific updates are available from the Louisiana Department of Transportation reports and the Mississippi Department of Transporation.
In its Daily Operations Briefing, FEMA reports the status of "Transportation" community lifeline in Louisiana is yellow, indicating it is stabilizing (services disrupted but solution in progress with estimated time to stabilization identified). For FEMA Region II, which includes New Jersey and New York, it reports the status is green, indicating it is stable.

CISA and FEMA Business and Infrastructure Stakeholder Hurricane Ida Conference Call

CISA and FEMA will convene this call today, Tuesday, September 7, after suspending it the previous two days. It will hold the final call on Thursday, September 9 (there will be no call on Wednesday, September 8).

Confirmed Upcoming Date(s): Tuesday and Thursday, September 7 and 9
Time: 3:00 pm ET
Dial-In #: 1-800-857-6546
Passcode/PIN: 4949693

Infrastructure partners are also invited to access the FEMA National Business Emergency Operations Center (NBEOC) dashboard.

Mutual Aid
Utilities wishing to offer aid to impacted utilities are urged to consider now what they may be able to offer. Please determine what type of team/assets your utility could deploy if requested based on the AWWA Water Sector Resource Typing Guidance that was specifically developed to support this type of incident response. Those that wish to offer assistance are encouraged to coordinate through their Water/Wastewater Agency Response Networks (WARNs). Before an out-of-state utility can provide support to a utility in an impacted state, the impacted state must make a request under the Emergency Management Assistance Compact.

WaterISAC will continue to monitor this situation and provide updates as necessary, including to this webpage. Here it has also posted the FEMA Daily Operations Briefing, which provides more information on the impacts and forecast for Ida and responses and preparations by federal, state, and local governments. WaterISAC stands ready to assist members with any unmet needs and can be contacted at [email protected] and at (866)H2O-ISAC.

September 6, 2021

WaterISAC is continuing to track impacts to critical infrastructure from Ida.

Water and Wastewater Sector

Louisiana's drinking water primacy agency reports there are 231 boil water advisories impacting 1,068,625 customers in 14 parishes and 65 water system outages impacting 59,489 customers in 11 parishes. Many of the system outages affect water systems serving individual businesses or organizations, such as restaurants, schools, mobile home parks, and factories. Sixty-five systems serving 59,489 customers in 12 parishes have been cleared from boil water advisories.
- In its Daily Operations Briefing (posted below), FEMA continues to report the status of Louisiana's "Food, Water, Shelter" community lifeline, which includes water and wastewater utilities, is yellow, indicating it is stabilizing (services disrupted but solution in progress with estimated time to stabilization identified). It also notes that power restoration, generator distribution, responder lodging, and fuel support are priorities to mitigate impacts to critical infrastructure, including water systems. It adds the estimated restoration for the majority of impacted areas is expected by September 8, and, for the more heavily impacted areas, by September 29.
Mississippi's drinking water primacy agency reports there are 12 boil water notices related to Hurricane Ida.
In its Daily Operations Briefing, FEMA reports the status of "Food, Water, Shelter" community lifeline in FEMA Regions II, which includes New Jersey and New York, is green, indicating it is stable.

Energy Sector

In Louisiana, the number of customers without power is approximately 531,000, according to PowerOutage.US. The U.S. Department of Energy's latest daily situation report indicates full restoration in New Orleans East and Orleans Parish is expected September 8 and full restoration to Baton Rouge is expected September 6, although many customers will be restored before this date. Restoration timelines for the hardest hit areas in the southeast corner of the state extend into the latter half of September.
In Mississippi, approximately 3,000 customers are without power, according to PowerOutage.US.
The number of power outages in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast have dropped significantly in the last day, according to numbers provided by PowerOutage.US.
For retail gas stations, the U.S. Department of Energy's latest daily situation report continues to note widespread power outages, damage, flooding, and access constraints are leading to retail gas station closures in impacted areas. Due to limited availability from power outages, gas stations with power or operating on generator have reported long lines and high demand. The high demand at available stations has lead to temporary fuel outages while stations wait for resupply. Power outages is also limiting availability of some terminals in the affected area. Long lines have been reported at terminals; however, some lines may be due to use of drivers not certified for specific terminals and require safety certification prior to entry. The state is suppling generators to some retail stations.
- WaterISAC has posted TLP:AMBER reports from its counterpart representing the financial services sector, the Financial Services ISAC (FS-ISAC) indicating the locations of where ATM and credit card transactions were last processed. These locations include retail gas stations, where recent transactions may indicate that they are open and have fuel available for purchase. Access the reports on a separate WaterISAC portal page here.

Communications Sector

The Federal Communications Commission's (FCC's) latest Status Report, issued yesterday, continues to show that the status is improving drastically from the previous day's report.

Transportation Sector

In Louisisana and Mississippi, all interstates appear to be open, with some impacts remaining for secondary roads.
- State-specific updates are available from the Louisiana Department of Transportation reports and the Mississippi Department of Transporation.
In its Daily Operations Briefing, FEMA reports the status of "Transportation" community lifeline in Louisiana is yellow, indicating it is stabilizing (services disrupted but solution in progress with estimated time to stabilization identified). For FEMA Region II, which includes New Jersey and New York, it reports the status is green, indicating it is stable.

CISA and FEMA Business and Infrastructure Stakeholder Hurricane Ida Conference Call

CISA and FEMA won't convene this call on Sunday or Monday, September 5 and 6. It will resume on Tuesday, September 7. CISA and FEMA indicate they will continue working through the Labor Day weekend and can be contacted via the National Business Emergency Operations Center (NBEOC) dashboard (information below) and email ([email protected]).

Confirmed Upcoming Date(s): Tuesday, September 7
Time: 3:00 pm ET
Dial-In #: 1-800-857-6546
Passcode/PIN: 4949693

Infrastructure partners are also invited to access the FEMA National Business Emergency Operations Center (NBEOC) dashboard.

September 5, 2021

WaterISAC is continuing to track impacts to critical infrastructure from Ida.

Water and Wastewater Sector

Louisiana's drinking water primacy agency reports there are 218 boil water advisories impacting 1,050,694 customers in 16 parishes and 89 water system outages impacting 83,686 customers in 12 parishes. Many of the system outages affect water systems serving individual businesses or organizations, such as restaurants, schools, mobile home parks, and factories. Thirteen systems serving 33,538 customers in 7 parishes have been cleared from boil water advisories.
- In its Daily Operations Briefing (posted below), FEMA continues to report the status of Louisiana's "Food, Water, Shelter" community lifeline, which includes water and wastewater utilities, is yellow, indicating it is stabilizing (services disrupted but solution in progress with estimated time to stabilization identified). It also notes that power restoration, generator distribution, responder lodging, and fuel support are priorities to mitigate impacts to critical infrastructure, including water systems. It adds the estimated restoration for the majority of impacted areas is expected by September 8, and, for the more heavily impacted areas, by September 29.
Mississippi's drinking water primacy agency reports there are 12 boil water notices related to Hurricane Ida.
In its Daily Operations Briefing, FEMA reports the status of "Food, Water, Shelter" community lifeline in FEMA Regions II, which includes New Jersey and New York, is green, indicating it is stable.

Energy Sector

In Louisiana, the number of customers without power has dropped to just below 600,000, according to PowerOutage.US. The U.S. Department of Energy's daily situation report indicates full restoration in New Orleans East and Orleans Parish is expected September 8 and full restoration to Baton Rouge is expected September 6, although many customers will be restored before this date. Restoration timelines for the hardest hit areas in the southeast corner of the state extend into the latter half of September.
In Mississippi, approximately 3,000 customers are without power (down from about 6,000 customers yesterday), according to PowerOutage.US.
The number of power outages in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast have dropped significantly in the last day, according to numbers provided by PowerOutage.US.
- In Pennsylvania, approximately 3,000 customers are without power.
- In New Jersey, approximately 2,000 customers are without power.
- In New York, approximately 500 customers are without power.
- In Connectictut, less than 600 customers are without power.
For retail gas stations, the U.S. Department of Energy's daily situation report continues to note widespread power outages, damage, flooding, and access constraints are leading to retail gas station closures in impacted areas. Due to limited availability from power outages, gas stations with power or operating on generator have reported long lines and high demand. The high demand at available stations has lead to temporary fuel outages while stations wait for resupply. Power outages is also limiting availability of some terminals in the affected area. Long lines have been reported at terminals; however, some lines may be due to use of drivers not certified for specific terminals and require safety certification prior to entry. The state is suppling generators to some retail stations.
- WaterISAC has posted TLP:AMBER reports from its counterpart representing the financial services sector, the Financial Services ISAC (FS-ISAC) indicating the locations of where ATM and credit card transactions were last processed. These locations include retail gas stations, where recent transactions may indicate that they are open and have fuel available for purchase. Access the reports on a separate WaterISAC portal page here.

Communications Sector

The Federal Communications Commission's (FCC's) latest Status Report, issued yesterday, continues to show that the status is improving drastically from the previous day's report.

Transportation Sector

In Louisisana and Mississippi, all interstates appear to be open, with some impacts remaining for secondary roads.
- State-specific updates are available from the Louisiana Department of Transportation reports and the Mississippi Department of Transporation.
In its Daily Operations Briefing, FEMA reports the status of "Transportation" community lifeline in Louisiana is yellow, indicating it is stabilizing (services disrupted but solution in progress with estimated time to stabilization identified). For FEMA Region II, which includes New Jersey and New York, it reports the status is green, indicating it is stable.

CISA and FEMA Business and Infrastructure Stakeholder Hurricane Ida Conference Call

Confirmed Upcoming Date(s): Tuesday, September 7
Time: 3:00 pm ET
Dial-In #: 1-800-857-6546
Passcode/PIN: 4949693

Infrastructure partners are also invited to access the FEMA National Business Emergency Operations Center (NBEOC) dashboard.

September 4, 2021

WaterISAC is continuing to track impacts to critical infrastructure from Ida.

Water and Wastewater Sector

Louisiana's drinking water primacy agency reports there are 205 boil water advisories impacting 1,020,707 customers in 16 parishes and 107 water system outages impacting 133,779 customers in 12 parishes. Many of the system outages affect water systems serving individual businesses or organizations, such as restaurants, schools, mobile home parks, and factories. Six systems serving 13,432 customers in three parishes have been cleared from boil water advisories.
- The Sewerage & Water Board of New Orleans (SWBNO) is posting Hurricane Ida recovery updates here. It reports:
  - "It is critical to consider both available resources and services when deciding to come back home. We are still working to restore normal operations at our East Bank Wastewater Treatment Plant. This is why we are urging the public to be extremely mindful when using water."
  - "This means not using large appliances such as dishwashers and washing machines, taking shorter showers and focusing on general water conservation. It is important that we don’t put any added stress on our system as we work to bring it back online."
  - "Right now we are using vacuum and flush trucks to keep up with demand as much as possible and to address any reported “hot spots” that are backing up. We ask residents to call 52-WATER to report any sewage backups they see."
- In its Daily Operations Briefing (posted below), FEMA continues to report the status of Louisiana's "Food, Water, Shelter" community lifeline, which includes water and wastewater utilities, is yellow, indicating it is stabilizing (services disrupted but solution in progress with estimated time to stabilization identified). It also notes that power restoration remains a priority in the state to mitigate impacts to critical infrastructure, including water systems.
Mississippi's drinking water primacy agency reports there are 13 boil water notices.
In Pennsylvania, Aqua Pennsylvania reports it shut down two water treatment plants, Pickering East and West, due to heavy rainfall, flooding, and loss of power. Noting that it will take some time for full recovery to take place, it asked customers to take all possible measures to curtail water use until further notice. It also issued a boil water advisory for some customers.
In its Daily Operations Briefing, FEMA reports the status of "Food, Water, Shelter" community lifeline in FEMA Regions II, which includes New Jersey and New York, is green, indicating it is stable.

Energy Sector

In Louisiana, the number of customers without power has dropped to just above 700,000, according to PowerOutage.US. The U.S. Department of Energy's daily situation report indicates full restoration in New Orleans East and Orleans Parish is expected September 8 and full restoration to Baton Rouge is expected September 6, although many customers will be restored before this date. Restoration timelines for the hardest hit areas in the southeast corner of the state extend into the latter half of September. While full restoration in the hardest hit areas may take several weeks, customers will be restored as repairs are complete.
In Mississippi, approximately 6,000 customers are without power (down from about 15,000 customers yesterday), according to PowerOutage.US.
The number of power outages in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast have dropped significantly in the last day, according to numbers provided by PowerOutage.US.
- In Pennsylvania, approximately 12,000 customers are without power.
- In New Jersey, approximately 4,000 customers are without power.
- In New York, approximately 2,000 customers are without power.
- In Connectictut, less than 100 customers are without power.
For retail gas stations, the U.S. Department of Energy's daily situation report notes widespread power outages, damage, flooding, and access constraints are leading to retail gas station closures in impacted areas. Due to limited availability from power outages, gas stations with power or operating on generator have reported long lines and high demand. The high demand at available stations has lead to temporary fuel outages while stations wait for resupply. Power outages is also limiting availability of some terminals in the affected area. Long lines have been reported at terminals; however, some lines may be due to use of drivers not certified for specific terminals and require safety certification prior to entry. The state is suppling generators to some retail stations.
- WaterISAC has posted TLP:AMBER reports from its counterpart representing the financial services sector, the Financial Services ISAC (FS-ISAC) indicating the locations of where ATM and credit card transactions were last processed. These locations include retail gas stations, where recent transactions may indicate that they are open and have fuel available for purchase. Access the reports on a separate WaterISAC portal page here.

Communications Sector

The Federal Communications Commission's (FCC's) latest Status Report, issued yesterday, continues to show that the status is improving drastically from the previous day's report.

Transportation Sector

In Louisisana and Mississippi, all interstates appear to be open, with some impacts remaining for secondary roads.
- State-specific updates are available from the Louisiana Department of Transportation reports and the Mississippi Department of Transporation.
In its Daily Operations Briefing, FEMA reports the status of "Transportation" community lifeline in FEMA Region II, which includes New Jersey and New York, is yellow, indicating it is stabilizing (services disrupted but solution in progress with estimated time to stabilization identified). It also states "flooding and debris is posing challenges to transportation in Regions II and III" (Region III includes Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia).

CISA and FEMA Business and Infrastructure Stakeholder Hurricane Ida Conference Call

CISA and FEMA will convene this call today, Saturday, September 4, but will not conduct it on Sunday or Monday. It will resume on Tuesday, September 7. CISA and FEMA indicate they will continue working through the Labor Day weekend and can be contacted via the National Business Emergency Operations Center (NBEOC) dashboard (information below) and email ([email protected]).

Confirmed Upcoming Dates: Saturday, September 4 and Tuesday, September 7
Time: 3:00 pm ET
Dial-In #: 1-800-857-6546
Passcode/PIN: 4949693

Infrastructure partners are also invited to access the FEMA National Business Emergency Operations Center (NBEOC) dashboard.

September 3, 2021

WaterISAC is continuing to track impacts to critical infrastructure from Ida.

Water and Wastewater Sector

Louisiana's drinking water primacy agency reports there are 194 boil water advisories impacting 965,849 customers in 15 parishes and 118 water system outages impacting 188,637 customers in 12 parishes. Many of the system outages affect water systems serving individual businesses or organizations, such as restaurants, schools, mobile home parks, and factories.
- The Sewerage & Water Board of New Orleans (SWBNO) is posting Hurricane Ida recovery updates here.
  - For wastewater, it reports:
    - For its sewer pumping stations, 39 stations have generators or temporary pumps installed. The remaining 45 stations are in various stages of deployment and installation.
    - Its Networks Department is utilizing vac trucks to pump out stations as they fill up.
    - The East Bank Wastewater Treatment Plant now has Entergy power; we are bringing plant operations back up slowly. We will continue to keep the bypass valves to the river open until the plant is fully operational.
  - For drinking water, it reports:
    - Its water plant in Algiers is supplying neighboring parishes with water via filling stations in partnership with the Louisiana Department of Health.
    - Entergy is working to power Hamilton, Sycamore and Panola Stations.
    - Water pressure and water quality are stable.
    - Crews are proactively monitoring pressure throughout the city.
- In its Daily Operations Briefing (posted below), FEMA continues to report the status of Louisiana's "Food, Water, Shelter" community lifeline, which includes water and wastewater utilities, is yellow, indicating it is stabilizing (services disrupted but solution in progress with estimated time to stabilization identified).
Mississippi's drinking water primacy agency reports there are 13 boil water notices.
During the CISA/FEMA call today, it was reported that there are no major impacts at water or wastewater utilities in the Northeast.
- In its Daily Operations Briefing, FEMA reports the status of "Food, Water, Shelter" community lifeline in FEMA Regions II, which includes New Jersey and New York, is green, indicating it is stable.

Energy Sector

In Louisiana, the number of customers without power has dropped to below 800,000, according to PowerOutage.US. The U.S. Department of Energy's daily situation report indicates electric utility Entergy continues to work to restore the transmission system serving New Orleans.
In Mississippi, approximately 15,000 customers are without power (down from about 35,000 customers yesterday), according to PowerOutage.US.
The number of power outages in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast have dropped significantly in the last day, according to numbers provided by PowerOutage.US.
- In Pennsylvania, approximately 15,000 customers are without power.
- In New Jersey, approximately 7,000 customers are without power.
- In New York, approximately 5,000 customers are without power.
- In Connectictut, approximately 1,000 customers are without power.

Communications Sector

The Federal Communications Commission's (FCC's) latest Status Report, issued yesterday, continues to depict widespread communications outages in parts of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Florida. In a section on cellular service site outages, it continues to show that the status is improving drastically from the previous day's report.

Transportation Sector

During the CISA/FEMA call today, the Louisiana Business Emergency Operations Center (NBEOC) representative reported all interstates within the state are open. He added that conditions on secondary roads are improving.
The Louisiana Department of Transportation reports:
- The Town of Grand is uninhabitable; it strongly discourages travel to this area.
The Mississippi Department of Transporation reports:
- Interstate 55 is closed in both directions at mile marker 17 just north of Delaware Avenue in Pike County, where Entergy crews will be working to restore power after Hurricane Ida.
- State Route 26 continues to be closed in both directions at Crossroads Road in George County due to a road washout caused by flash flooding.

CISA and FEMA Business and Infrastructure Stakeholder Hurricane Ida Conference Call

CISA and FEMA will convene this call tomorrow, Saturday, September 4, but will not conduct it on Sunday or Monday. It will resume on Tuesday, September 7. CISA and FEMA indicate they will continue working through the Labor Day weekend and can be contacted via the National Business Emergency Operations Center (NBEOC) dashboard (information below) and email ([email protected]).

Confirmed Upcoming Dates: Saturday, September 4 and Tuesday, September 7
Time: 3:00 pm ET
Dial-In #: 1-800-857-6546
Passcode/PIN: 4949693

Infrastructure partners are also invited to access the FEMA National Business Emergency Operations Center (NBEOC) dashboard.

September 2, 2021

As Ida's remnants have moved to the north over the past couple days, they have brought heavy rain and high winds that have led to considerable flooding and even tornadoes, causing impacts to parts of the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast in the past couple days. WaterISAC has captured below some of the most significant impacts for the water and wastewaster sector and other critical infrastructure sectors. It has also posted information on the forecast for the remnants of the storm which are continuing to move in a northeasterly direction across the Northeast, where they are expected to bring heavy rainfall that may result in considerable flash, urban, and riverine flooding.

Water and Wastewater Sector

Louisiana's drinking water primacy agency reports there are 119 boil water advisories impacting customers in 14 parishes and 191 water system outages impacting customers in 14 parishes. Many of the system outages affect water systems serving individual businesses or organizations, such as restaurants, schools, mobile home parks, and factories.
- The Sewerage & Water Board of New Orleans (SWBNO) reports water pressure and water quality are stable at this time and water remains safe to drink. It adds that crews are proactively monitoring pressure citywide.
- During yesterday's CISA and FEMA call, it was reported that Baton Rouge Water is in the process of providing mutual aid to smaller systems in the French Settlement area, helping a total of five systems. Additionally, it was noted that other systems outside of the affected area are standing by to provide mutual assistance should there be a request.
In its Daily Operations Briefing (posted below), FEMA continues to report the status of Louisiana's "Food, Water, Shelter" community lifeline, which includes water and wastewater utilities, is yellow, indicating it is stabilizing (services disrupted but solution in progress with estimated time to stabilization identified).
Mississippi's drinking water primacy agency reports there are 13 boil water notices.
In its Daily Operations Briefing, FEMA reports the status of "Food, Water, Shelter" community lifeline in Mississippi and in FEMA Regions I, II, and III (spanning from Kentucky and Virginia to Maine) is green, indicating it is stable.

Energy Sector

In Louisiana, the number of customers without power has dropped to just over 900,000, according to the Department of Energy's (DOE) Situation Report for today and PowerOutage.US. During yesterday's CISA and FEMA call, it was reported that 1 of 8 transmission lines into New Orleans had been restored.
In Mississippi, approximately 35,000 customers are without power (up from about 31,000 customers yesterday), according to PowerOutage.US.
There are significant numbers of power outages in the Mid-Atlantic, according to PowerOutage.US.
- In Pennsylvania, approximately 74,000 customers are without power.
- In New Jersey, approximately 62,000 customers are without power.
- In New York, approximately 37,000 customers are without power.
- In Connectictut, approximately 16,000 customers are without power.

Communications Sector

The Federal Communications Commission's (FCC's) latest Status Report, issued yesterday, continues to depict widespread communications outages in parts of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Florida. In a section on cellular service site outages, it shows that the status is improving drastically from the previous day's report. Although there continue to be very high levels of outages in southeastern Louisiana.
New Orleans, Louisiana government websites have been restored, including those for the Sewerage & Water Board of New Orleans (SWBNO) and the city's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness.
FEMA has created a rumor control webpage for Ida.

Transportation Sector

The Louisiana Department of Transportation reports:
- All interstate systems in the state are open to traffic.
- However, a portion of I-55 closed due to power line.
The Mississippi Department of Transporation reports:
- State Route 575 is closed in both directions from State Route 48 to Hall Road in Pike County.
- State Route 26 continues to be closed at Crossroads Road in both directions due to a road washout caused by flash flooding.
In New York City, floodwaters brought by Ida, a rarity in the city, caused significant disruptions to transportation systems, including the subway.

Forecast

As of 5:00 AM ET this morning, the National Weather Service (NWS) reported Ida was a post-tropical cyclone located near eastern Long Island, New York and accelerating norteastward toward Cape Cod. It advises the system is expected to bring widespread heavy rainfall, which will wind down from west to east today across eastern New England. Flood and Flash Flood Watches continue across portions of southern New England. Additionally, tornado watches are in effect for portions of Rhode Island and southeast Massachusetts.

CISA and FEMA Business and Infrastructure Stakeholder Hurricane Ida Conference Call

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and FEMA invite critical infrastructure partners to join a Business and Infrastructure Partners Call concerning Hurricane Ida meeting daily at 3 pm ET and continuing until further notice. These calls include an incident overview, discussions on community lifelines, updates from available FEMA and CISA Regional personnel, and an open forum for questions and information sharing.

Date: Daily, until further notice
Time: 3:00 pm ET
Dial-In #: 1-800-857-6546
Passcode/PIN: 4949693

Infrastructure partners are also invited to access the FEMA National Business Emergency Operations Center (NBEOC) dashboard.

September 1, 2021

WaterISAC has posted below the latest information on Ida's impacts to the water and wastewaste sector and other critical infrastructure sectors. It has also posted information on the forecast for the remnants of the storm which are moving in a northeasterly direction across the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast, where they are expected to bring heavy rainfall that may result in considerable flash, urban, and riverine flooding.

Water and Wastewater Sector

Louisiana's drinking water primacy agency reports there are 95 boil water advisories impacting customers in 12 parishes and 212 water system outages impacting customers in 16 parishes. Many of the system outages affect water systems serving individual businesses or organizations, such as restaurants, schools, mobile home parks, and factories.
- Yesterday, the Louisiana drinking water primacy agency reported many drinking water systems have unmet chlorine, anhydrous ammonia, and other chemical needs as they try to restore service. Without these chemicals, the systems may have to issue do not drink advisories. U.S. EPA is aware and attempting to assist with the issue by working through FEMA and other emergency response partners.
In its Daily Operations Briefing (posted below), FEMA continues to report the status of Louisiana's "Food, Water, Shelter" community lifeline, which includes water and wastewater utilities, is yellow, indicating it is stabilizing (services disrupted but solution in progress with estimated time to stabilization identified).
In its Daily Operations Briefing, FEMA reports the status of Mississippi's "Food, Water, Shelter" community lifeline is green, indicating it is stable.

Energy Sector

In Louisiana, there continue to be over 1 million customers without power, according to the Department of Energy's (DOE) Situation Report for today and PowerOutage.US. This also continues to involve New Orleans, where damage to the transmission system caused outages to most of the city. According to the DOE Situation Report, there is extensive damage to the transmission system for New Orleans and other parts of the state.
- DOE reports damage assessments are expected to take three days and that estimated restoration times will be established once damage assessments are complete.
  - During the CISA and FEMA call on Sunday, it was reported that power restoration for some areas may take up to three weeks.
- DOE reports the electric utility Entergy is working to restore transmission paths to New Orleans and that pump systems are operating on internal co-generation and/or backup power.
In Mississippi, approximately 31,000 customers are without power (down about 20,000 customers from yesterday), according to PowerOutage.US.
DOE reports several oil/natural gas pipelines shut down operations as a standard precautionary measure in advance of Ida. It adds pipeline operators are beginning to restore operations as post-storm assessments are completed but that some operations may be limited due to power outages.
DOE reports power outages are likely leading to retail gas station closures in impacted areas.

Communications Sector

The Federal Communications Commission's (FCC's) latest Status Report, issued yesterday, depicts widespread communications outages in parts of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Florida. In a section on cellular service site outages, it shows that the status is improving drastically from the previous day's report. Although there continue to be very high levels of outages in southeastern Louisiana and southern Mississippi.
All New Orleans, Louisiana government websites are currently experiencing outages, including those for the Sewerage & Water Board of New Orleans (SWBNO).
FEMA has created a rumor control webpage for Ida.

Transportation Sector

The Louisiana Department of Transportation reports:
- All interstate systems in the state are open to traffic.
- However, a portion of I-55 closed due to power line.
The Mississippi Department of Transporation reports:
- State Route 575 is closed in both directions from State Route 48 to Hall Road in Pike County.
- State Route 26 continues to be closed at Crossroads Road in both directions due to a road washout caused by flash flooding.

Forecast

As of 11:00 AM ET this morning, the National Weather Service (NWS) reported Ida was a post-tropical cyclone and bringing heavy rain and the likelihood of significant and life-threatening flash flooding from the Mid-Atlantic into southern New England, especially across highly urbanized metropolitan areas and areas of steep terrain. It forecasts widespread moderate and major river flooding impacts are forecast from northern West Virginia and western Maryland into southern Pennsylvania and New Jersey, particularly in the Monongahela, Potomac, Susquehanna, Delaware, lower Hudson and Coastal Connecticut river basins. Additionally, widespread minor to isolated major river flooding is occurring or forecast from the Lower Mississippi Valley into far western Alabama and northeast Georgia. Rivers will remain elevated into next week. All river forecast centers can be accessed here.

Additionally, the NWS advises several tornadoes are probable across portions of the Mid-Atlantic today, mainly during the afternoon and evening hours.

CISA and FEMA Business and Infrastructure Stakeholder Hurricane Ida Conference Call

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and FEMA invite critical infrastructure partners to join a Business and Infrastructure Partners Call concerning Hurricane Ida meeting daily at 3 pm ET and continuing until further notice. These calls include an incident overview, discussions on community lifelines, updates from available FEMA and CISA Regional personnel, and an open forum for questions and information sharing.

Date: Daily, until further notice
Time: 3:00 pm ET
Dial-In #: 1-800-857-6546
Passcode/PIN: 4949693

Infrastructure partners are also invited to access the FEMA National Business Emergency Operations Center (NBEOC) dashboard.

August 31, 2021

Damage assessments are continuing in areas affected by Ida, providing new information on impacts caused by the storm that made landfall Sunday in Louisiana, where it has caused the most devastation.

Water and Wastewater Sector

Louisiana's drinking water primacy agency reports there are 42 boil water advisories impacting 151,313 customers in 10 parishes and 168 water system outages impacting 752,265 customers in 16 parishes. Many of the system outages affect water systems serving individual businesses or organizations, such as restaurants, schools, mobile home parks, and factories.
- The Louisiana drinking water primacy agency reports many drinking water systems have unmet chlorine, anhydrous ammonia, and other chemical needs as they try to restore service. Without these chemicals, the systems may have to issue do not drink advisories. U.S. EPA is aware and attempting to assist with the issue by working through FEMA and other emergency response partners.
In its Daily Operations Briefing (posted below), FEMA reports the status of Louisiana's "Food, Water, Shelter" community lifeline, which includes water and wastewater utilities, is yellow, indicating it is stabilizing (services disrupted but solution in progress with estimated time to stabilization identified).
WaterISAC has not received reports of significant impacts to water and wastewater systems in Mississippi. In its Daily Operations Briefing, FEMA reports the status of the "Food, Water, Shelter" community lifeline is green, indicating it is stable.
During the CISA and FEMA Business and Infrastructure Stakeholder Conference Call yesterday, the FEMA Region IV representative reported two Alabama water systems were experiencing outages but were recovering.
Also during the call, the EPA representative reported the agency is working with FEMA to send subject matter experts to Regions IV and VI, in particular to Louisiana and Mississippi, to help with damage assessments. The representative also reported EPA is bringing in two mobile labs to do water samples to help clear boil water notices.

Energy Sector

In Louisiana, there continue to be over 1 million customers without power, according to the Department of Energy's (DOE) Situation Report for today and PowerOutage.US. This also continues to involve New Orleans, where damage to the transmission system caused outages to most of the city. According to the DOE Situation Report and a Louisiana Business Emergency Operations Center representative on the CISA and FEMA call yesterday, there is extensive damage to the transmission system for New Orleans and other parts of the state.
- DOE reports damage assessments are expected to take three days and that estimated restoration times will be established once damage assessments are complete.
  - During the CISA and FEMA call on Sunday, it was reported that power restoration for some areas may take up to three weeks.
- DOE reports the electric utility Entergy is working to restore transmission paths to New Orleans and that pump systems are operating on internal co-generation and/or backup power.
In Mississippi, approximately 52,000 customers are without power, according to PowerOutage.US.
DOE reports several oil/natural gas pipelines shut down operations as a standard precautionary measure in advance of Ida. It adds pipeline operators are beginning to restore operations as post-storm assessments are completed.
DOE reports power outages are likely leading to retail gas station closures in impacted areas.

Communications Sector

The Federal Communications Commission's (FCC's) latest Status Report, issued yesterday at 11:00 am ET, depicts widespread communications outages in parts of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Florida. In a section on cellular service site outages, it shows very high levels of outages in souteastern Louisiana and southern Mississippi. For two Lousiana parishes, Assumption and Terrebonne, cell sites outages were 100 percent.

Transportation Sector

The Louisiana Department of Transportation reports:
- I-12 is open from Baton Rouge to Slidell; I-55 north and US 51 remain closed.
- I-10 eastbound is open from the Texas state line to the Mississippi state line; I-10 westbound is closed between Gramercy and Prairieville.
- I-10 between Baton Rouge and New Orleans is open for emergency responders only
The Kerner Swing Bridge in Lafitte, LA was struck by a loose barge and has been deemed not structurally safe.
The Mississippi Department of Transporation reports State Route 26 is closed at Crossroads Road in both directions due to a road washout caused by flash flooding.
The Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority, which closed flood gates for Ida, confirms there were no levee breaches or overtopping within the Hurricane and Storm Damage Risk Reduction System (HSDRRS).

Forecast

As of 11:00 AM ET this morning, the National Weather Service (NWS) reported Ida was a tropical depression moving across the Tennessee Valley. The NWS advises that rainfall from Ida could cause considerable flash flooding from the Middle Tennessee Valley, Ohio Valley, Central and Southern Appalachians, into the Mid-Atlantic and southern New England, with additional widespread moderate and isolated major river flooding impacts forecast from northern West Virginia and western Maryland into southern Pennsylvania and New Jersey. All river forecast centers can be accessed here.

Additionally, the NWS advises of the threat for a couple of tornadoes, which will be centered this evening across eastern Alabama, western Georgia, and the Florida Panhandle. On Wednesday, the threat of a few tornadoes will shift into portions of the Mid-Atlantic.

CISA and FEMA Business and Infrastructure Stakeholder Hurricane Ida Conference Call

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and FEMA invite critical infrastructure partners to join a Business and Infrastructure Partners Call concerning Hurricane Ida meeting daily at 3 pm ET and continuing until further notice. These calls include an incident overview, discussions on community lifelines, updates from available FEMA and CISA Regional personnel, and an open forum for questions and information sharing.

Date: Daily, until further notice
Time: 3:00 pm ET
Dial-In #: 1-800-857-6546
Passcode/PIN: 4949693

Infrastructure partners are also invited to access the FEMA National Business Emergency Operations Center (NBEOC) dashboard.

August 30, 2021

Initial damage assessments are underway in areas affected by Ida, which made landfall yesterday in southeastern Louisiana as a Category 4 hurricane. Ida brought heavy rains, high winds, and storm surge that have caused catastrophic conditions, including significant flooding. Some of the initial reports indicate:

Multiple water systems have implemented boil water advisories, including Terrebonne Parish (where Houma is located) and Jefferson, St. Tammany, and St. Charles Parishes, which are in the New Orleans area.
- The Louisiana Safe Drinking Water Program has started reporting Ida-related boil water advisories and water outages here. As of 11:00 AM ET, it reported 14 systems were under boil water advisories and 18 systems were experiencing water outages.
The Sewer & Water Board of New Orleans (SWBNO) lost all external power but is using self-generated power sources and backup generators to drain stormwater and pump drinking water into the city. The power loss impacted its sewer pumping stations; there was no backup power to operate any of those that were impacted. SWBNO reports it has worked to obtain backup power for some of these stations and will mobilize those units when it is safe to traverse the city. To prevent sewage backups, it asked residents to limit water usage.
Over 1 million customers in Louisiana were without power as of this morning, according to PowerOutage.US. These numbers include customers in New Orleans, where the entire city was reportedly without power.
- Approximately 130,000 customers were without power in Mississippi, where Ida is currently located and is expected to pass over today and tomorrow.
- According to energy sector representatives on the CISA and FEMA conference call yesterday, power restoration for some affected areas may take up to three weeks.

WaterISAC will continue to report on impacts in upcoming advisories.

As of 11:00 am ET, Ida was located over western Mississippi and moving northward at 9 mph. It is expected to start traveling a northeastern direction at a slighter higher velocity, moving across the Tennessee Valley tomorrow and the Ohio Valley, Central/Southern Appalachians, Mid-Atlantic, and parts of the Northeast over the rest of the week. Ida was a tropical storm, with maximum sustained winds near 40 mph. Additional rapid weakening is forecast during the next day or so, and Ida is expected to become a tropical depression this afternoon.

Through this morning, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) predicts Ida will produce additional rainfall totals of 2 to 4 inches with localized higher amounts possible across portions of southeast Louisiana into far southern Mississippi. Storm total rainfall accumulations of 10 to 18 inches with isolated maximum amounts of 24 inches are expected. This rainfall has already contributed to life threatening flash flooding and significant riverine flooding along Louisiana's southeast coast, which are expected to continue farther inland. As Ida starts traveling northeast, significant flash flooding is possible from the Lower Mississippi Valley through the Middle Tennessee Valley, Ohio Valley, Central/Southern Appalachians, and into the Mid-Atlantic. Rainfall may generate widespread minor to isolated major riverine flooding from the Lower Mississippi Valley into far western Alabama. Additionally, the following areas are under tornado watch until later tonight: southeast Mississippi, southern Alabama, and the western Florida Panhandle.

For the latest updates on Ida, visit the NHC.

CISA and FEMA Business and Infrastructure Stakeholder Hurricane Ida Conference Call

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and FEMA invite critical infrastructure partners to join a Business and Infrastructure Partners Call concerning Hurricane Ida meeting daily at 3 pm ET and continuing until further notice. These calls include an incident overview, discussions on community lifelines, updates from available FEMA and CISA Regional personnel, and an open forum for questions and information sharing.

Date: Daily, until further notice
Time: 3:00 pm ET
Dial-In #: 1-800-857-6546
Passcode/PIN: 4949693

Infrastructure partners are also invited to access the FEMA National Business Emergency Operations Center (NBEOC) dashboard.

August 29, 2021

Hurricane Ida is expected to make landfall along the southeastern coast of Louisiana soon. It was a category 4 hurricane at the time of the National Hurricane Center's (NHC's) 11 am ET advisory, which also warned that slight additional strengthening is still possible before Ida moves onshore. Ida is then forecast to move well inland over portions of Louisiana and western Mississippi Monday and Monday night, and move across the Tennessee Valley on Tuesday.

For the latest updates on Ida, visit the NHC.

Total rainfall accumulations of 10 to 18 inches with isolated maximum amounts of 24 inches are possible across southeast Louisiana into far southern Mississippi through Monday. This is likely to result in life threatening flash and urban flooding and significant riverine flooding impacts. From coastal Alabama to the far western Florida panhandle, 5 to 10 inches with isolated maximum amounts of 15 inches are expected today through Tuesday morning. In central Mississippi, 4 to 8 inches with isolated maximum amounts of 12 inches are expected tonight through Monday night. For the Middle Tennessee Valley, Upper Ohio Valley, Central Appalachians into the Mid-Atlantic, 3 to 6 inches with isolated higher amounts are expected Tuesday into Wednesday. These rainfall totals will result in considerable flash and riverine flooding.

CISA and FEMA Business and Infrastructure Stakeholder Hurricane Ida Conference Call
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and FEMA invite critical infrastructure partners to join a Business and Infrastructure partners call series concerning Hurricane Ida beginning today, August 29, and continuing until further notice. These teleconferences will include an incident overview, discussions on community lifelines, updates from available FEMA and CISA Regional personnel, and an open forum for questions and information sharing.

Date: Daily, starting Sunday, 29 August until further notice
Time: 3:00 pm ET

Dial-In #: 1-800-857-6546
Passcode/PIN: 4949693

Infrastructure partners are also invited to access the FEMA National Business Emergency Operations Center (NBEOC) dashboard via the following link: https://fema.connectsolutions.com/nbeoc

WaterISAC Next Steps
WaterISAC will continue to monitor this situation and provide updates as necessary, including to the Ida webpage on its portal. WaterISAC stands ready to assist members with any unmet needs and can be contacted at [email protected] and at (866)H2O-ISAC.

August 28, 2021

A Hurricane Warning is in effect from Intracoastal City to the mouth of the Pearl River in Louisiana, where the National Hurricane Center (NHC) predicts Hurricane Ida will make landfall tomorrow and then move inland over portions of Louisiana or western Mississippi later on Monday. A Tropical Storm Warning is also in effect, for Cameron to west of Intracoastal City, Louisiana and for the Pearl River to the Alabama/Florida border. The NHC continues to predict that Ida will be a dangerous major hurricane when it makes landfall. As of this morning, Ida was a category 1 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 85 mph. The NHC forecasts rapid strengthening for Ida during the next 24 to 36 hours. Weakening is expected after Ida makes landfall.

For the latest updates on Ida, visit the NHC.

The latest 7-day Flood Hazard Outlook, provided in FEMA's Daily Operations Briefing, shows potential catastrophic flooding impacts for areas of southeastern Louisiana and southern Mississippi. Additionally, it shows an expanded area of considerable and limited flooding impacts, stretching from Louisiana to as far as northeast as Pennslvania and New Jersey. The full Daily Operations Briefing, which provides more information on the forecast for Ida and preparations being made by federal, state, and local governments, is posted below.

In addition to the other hazards of high winds and storm surge, the NHC also advises tornadoes are possible Sunday into Monday across the northern Gulf coast states including parts of eastern Louisiana, Mississippi, central and southern Alabama, and the Florida Panhandle. The longest duration tornado threat will exist across southeast Louisiana and southern Mississippi.

CISA and FEMA Business and Infrastructure Stakeholder Hurricane Ida Conference Call
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and FEMA invite critical infrastructure partners to join a Business and Infrastructure partners call series concerning Hurricane Ida beginning tomorrow, August 29, and continuing until further notice. These teleconferences will include an incident overview, discussions on community lifelines, updates from available FEMA and CISA Regional personnel, and an open forum for questions and information sharing.

Date: Daily, starting Sunday, 29 August until further notice
Time: 3:00 pm ET

Dial-In #: 1-800-857-6546
Passcode/PIN: 4949693

Infrastructure partners are also invited to access the FEMA National Business Emergency Operations Center (NBEOC) dashboard via the following link: https://fema.connectsolutions.com/nbeoc

August 27, 2021

The National Hurricane Center (NHC) forecasts that Hurricane Ida will make landfall Sunday on the northern Gulf Coast as a dangerous major hurricane (Category 3 or higher). The hurricane watch area extends from Cameron, Louisiana to the Mississippi/Alabama border and includes metropolitan New Orleans, where hurricane conditions are possible within 48 hours. The NHC adds that hurricane warnings (issued when hurricane conditions are expected within 12 hours) will likely be required for portions of the northern Gulf coast later today. As of 2:00 pm ET, Ida had just reached hurricane strength with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph. The NHC expects steady to rapid strengthening for Ida over the weekend.

Ida is projected to bring large amounts of rain, producing 8 to 16 inches of rainfall with isolated amounts of 20 inches over portions of the central Gulf Coast from southeast Louisiana to coastal Mississippi and Alabama through Monday morning. Ida is expected to turn northeast as it moves inland later on Monday, bringing 4 to 8 inches of rain across southern and central Mississippi.

This rainfall will likely result in significant flash and urban flooding, as well as widespread minor to moderate flooding on some rivers. According to the NHC, life-threatening flash flooding is likely on area rivers along and just inland of the central Gulf Coast. Considerable flash and urban flooding, as well as possible widespread minor to moderate river flooding, are likely across Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama through Monday morning.

In addition to the predicted rainfall and flooding hazards described above, Ida is also forecast to bring high winds, with hurricane conditions expected to begin in the hurricane watch area Saturday night or Sunday. Ida is also expected to cause a dangerous storm surge, with a storm surge watch in effect from Louisiana to the Alabama/Florida border.

For the latest updates on Ida, visit the NHC.

WaterISAC will continue to monitor this situation and provide updates as necessary, including to the Ida webpage on its portal. There it has posted the FEMA Daily Operations Briefing, which provides more information on the forecast for Ida and preparations being made by federal, state, and local governments. WaterISAC stands ready to assist members with any unmet needs and can be contacted at [email protected] and at (866)H2O-ISAC.

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