New Orleans slowly returns to life amid Hurricane Ida devastation

Power returns to city but rural areas still suffer after Category 4 hurricane delivers 240km/h punch.

Sid Padil, visiting from San Francisco, was surprised by the devastation and swaths of blue tarps on roofs in the southern United States city of New Orleans, Louisiana which is slowly coming back to life after Hurricane Ida punched through with extreme winds nearly two weeks ago. Padil was checking on gas stations and convenience stores he owns in Louisiana and Mississippi. He had a hard time finding a place to eat, and when he did, the patrons were mostly locals and recovery workers. “I don’t see many tourists right now,” Padil told The Associated Press.