Ida leaves hot & humid New Orleans without power for days

Louisiana’s biggest city is facing most extensive US outage since February, no word on when lights will come on.

Hurricane Ida has passed by, but New Orleans remains powerless. The city has been without electricity since Sunday, and there’s no word on when the lights will flicker on. Gasoline is scarce, most grocery stores are closed, tap water is iffy and officials are telling people who fled not to come home. It’s a challenge just to care for those who are there: More than half the population rode out the storm, and about 200,000 are enduring the smothering August heat and trying to put food on the table without electricity. Louisiana’s biggest city is now confronting the most extensive U.S. outage since February, when a brutal storm in Texas left more than 200 people dead. In the Crescent City — beloved for its jazz,  nightlife and food — people are picking their way through a labyrinth of downed trees and power lines to find the few stores where they can stock up on supplies.