Wednesday, September 2: This report includes an assessment of the potential impacts to healthcare and public health due to Hurricane Ida.
High-Level Situation Summary
As of Thursday, September 2, Ida further downgraded from a Tropical Depression to a Post-Tropical Cyclone with widespread heavy rain and areas of life-threatening flash flooding through the rest of today.
Ida is moving near eastern Long Island and accelerating northeastward toward Cape Cod.
Widespread heavy rainfall will continue to wind down from West to East today across eastern New England.
Flood and Flash Flood Watches continue across portions of southern New England.
Tornado Watches are in effect for portions of Rhode Island and Southeast Massachusetts.
The latest information on Post-Tropical Cyclone Ida can be found here.
Expected Impacts
Power outages: Just under one million customers across the states of Louisiana, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Mississippi, and New York are without power, as of September 2. More than 27,000 workers from at least 38 states and the District of Columbia are working to restore power to customers impacted by Hurricane Ida. We are tracking this closely and will continue to report on any analysis we have.
Louisiana
As of the morning of September 2, Entergy has restored power to over 107,000 customers in New Orleans. However, as of 9:30 am September 2, over 900,000 people remain without power in the state.
New Jersey
Over 60,000 people are without power after the storm passed through.
New York
More than 36,000 people are without power due to remnants of the storm passing through the state.
All New Jersey Transit rail service lines were suspended, excluding the Atlantic City line.
Over 300 flights were canceled the morning of September 2 at Newark Liberty International Airport.
New York
As of 9:40 am September 2, most of the subway lines in New York City were disrupted or delayed due to the remnants of Ida passing through.
The acting chairman of the MTA advised citizens of New York City not to travel until further notice on September 2.
Flights have been canceled and delayed at both Kennedy International Airport and LaGuardia Airport as of 10:40 am EST on September 2.
Maryland
As of September 2, the Penn and Camden Lines of the MARC train will operate on a full schedule Thursday, except the Penn Line Train 413 due to mechanical problems.
Pennsylvania
As of September 2, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) has closed many state highways across Southeast Pennsylvania including Interstate 76 and Interstate 676 in Philadelphia following Wednesday’s flash flooding. Additional road closings can be found here.
COVID-19: Due to ambiguous mask mandates and lower vaccination rates in the Gulf coast surrounding states, the increasing surge of COVID-19 infections will likely impact sheltering and hospital capacity. Hospitals have been challenged by the logistics of how staff/patients can remain socially distanced while remaining at the hospital for extended periods of time and Covid-19 transmission at shelters housing residents that have evacuated their homes is still a concern. We are tracking this closely and will continue to report on any analysis we have.
Resource Staging: Since the hurricane hit, more than 6,000 members of the National Guard have been activated in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Texas, and other states to support search and rescue and recovery efforts. Today, September 2, the State of Louisiana created a website for residents affected by Hurricane Ida to find updates, information, and resources to recover from the storm.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is reviving its Operation Blue Roof program to get as many houses into livable condition as possible during Hurricane Ida recovery.
Residents can sign up for the program at blueroof.us or call 1-888-ROOF-BLU (1-888-766-3258) for information about the program.
To help disaster survivors register for Federal assistance, Mobile Emergency Response Support assets including Emergency Operations Vehicles were deployed to support Louisiana and Mississippi.
Under the Major Disaster Declaration, individuals in affected areas can apply for disaster assistance and get referrals to local, state, and federal agencies and voluntary organizations by applying for disaster assistance through DisasterAssistance.gov. or by calling 1-800-621-3362 (TTY 1-800-462-7585).
Will now accept additional forms of documentation to verify occupancy and ownership requirements, improves access to disaster assistance for underserved communities.
On Monday, August 30, US Department of Health and Human Services determined that a public health emergency exists and has existed since August 26, 2021, in the State of Louisiana, and since August 28, 2021, in the State of Mississippi. The following waivers have been provided:
Waivers already available for health care providers to use during the COVID-19 PHE and for the Hurricane Ida PHE can be found here.
Additionally, on August 31, the US Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) made an extension and amendment to the Emergency Declaration that provides truck drivers flexibility to move critical freight to areas damaged by Ida - making it easier to supply essential items such as food, water, fuel, and power restoration equipment to help support emergency relief efforts.
Connecticut
State: On September 2, Governor Ned Lamont declared a state of emergency in Connecticut due to flooding.
State: Governor Ralph Northam declared a State of Emergency for the Commonwealth of Virginia which will allow for the quicker mobilization of resources to respond to impacts.
State officials are closely watching Buchanan County in Southwest Virginia after heavy rain ahead of Ida caused severe landslides.
Pennsylvania
State: Governor Tom Wolf signed a proclamation of disaster emergency on August 31, in anticipation of significant rainfall and widespread flooding expected from Ida.
State: A State of Emergency has been in effect for all parishes since Thursday 8/26.
Federal: A Federal disaster declaration was approved for all parishes on Thursday 8/26. This declaration authorized FEMA to identify, mobilize, and provide equipment and resources needed to respond to the emergency.
Food waivers:
Louisiana participants in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) can use their benefits to purchase “hot” or prepared foods through September 28, 2021, following a waiver from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service (FNS). This helps as many displaced individuals do not have access to a kitchen to prepare meals.
Transportation waivers:
Weight Waiver in place for commercial motor carriers travelling on public highways in Louisiana for the purpose of emergency preparedness and disaster relief. For these carriers, the total gross weight of any vehicle or combination of vehicles shall not exceed 88 thousand pounds.
Toll Waiver in place for tolls under the operation of the state of Louisiana, specifically LA 1 Toll Bridge from Leeville, Louisiana to Grand Isle and Port Fourchon.
Louisiana Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness and Louisiana Business Emergency Operations Center are at LEVEL I full activation.
More information on Louisiana's emergency activation levels can be found here.
Mississippi
State: A State of Emergency has been in effect since August 28. It allows the state government to deploy state resources and state assets for the purpose of search and rescue.
Federal: A Federal disaster declaration was approved for the state on August 28.
Any expenses accrued by the state and specific counties in preparation for Hurricane Ida are now eligible for federal reimbursement.
Alabama
State: Governor Kay Ivey declared State of Emergency for coastal and western counties on August 28.
According to media reports, 911 services are down for 6 Parishes, including:
Lafourche: 985-772-4810 & 985-772-4824 alternative numbers
Tangipahoa: 985-748-3246 alternative number
Acadia Parish: 337-788-8772 alternative number
St. Bernard: 504-579-4888, 504-442-5739, & 504-784-3087 alternative numbers
St. Tammany: no service line
St. Charles: no service line
911 emergency services have been fully restored in Orleans Parish.
Residents should call 911 for emergencies and 311 (504-658-2299) for non-emergencies.
Residents with medical needs can sign up for the Special Needs Registry at specialneeds.nola.gov or call 3-1-1 to sign up.
911 emergency services have been fully restored in Terrebonne Parish.
In Philadelphia, PA all non-emergency downed tree requests should be submitted through Philly 311, which can also be reached by phone at 311 or 215-686-8686.
Philly 311 will close at 2 pm on Friday, September 3 for Labor Day.
Four of five hospitals in Louisiana's Bayou region are severely damaged.
Thibodaux Regional Medical Center is the only major hospital in the region that is currently operating, but the region remains short of hospital beds. Since Hurricane Ida made landfall, the following hospitals have been evacuated:
Terrebonne General Medical Center in Houma
Leonard J. Chabert Medical Center in Houma
Lady of the Sea General Hospital in Cut Off
Ochsner St. Anne in Raceland
HHS and State officials are coordinating potential needs for the region, including medical staff or patient evacuation coordination.
Other hospitals in Louisiana remain running on generator power. The National Guard is expected to support transporting fuel to maintain generators. Mississippi hospitals are all back on commercial power.
Community health centers in the New Orleans area are reported to be largely closed due to power, water, and staffing issues.
As Ida is now moving away, the hospitals now facing dual challenge of shouldering the anticipated storm-related health emergencies on top of COVID-19 care looms large for the area’s hospitals.
Mississippi
There are no significant changes to this section since 9/1 (9/1 Situation Report)
Hospitals in Mississippi are back on commercial power.
One hospital in Pike County, Mississippi lost power for several hours, but generators kept the storm from affecting patients.
Intensive care units across Mississippi remain at or near capacity as hospitals manage staff shortages and high numbers of COVID-19 patients
As of September 1, no other significant impacts have been reported by Mississippi facilities.
Dialysis Centers
As of September 2, forty dialysis facilities remain closed in the New Orleans area.
Staffing continues to be a significant barrier to reopening facilities as many staff evacuated the area in advance of the storm.
Many facilities continue to operate on generator power, and it is reported that most have adequate fuel and supplies.
Fuel tankers have been topping generators.
Teams are working with hospital partners to move non-emergency patients out of the area.
Large dialysis organizations are working to ensure all patients are accounted for and are making substantial improvements in identifying patients as communications are starting to come back online.
It has been reported that facilities using city water are experiencing issues as city water has not been dependable, so they are also using tankers to supply water.
In the mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions, a few facilities experienced altered schedules on September 2 due to staff experiencing difficulties with commuting as a result of flooding. It is expected that operations will return to normal tomorrow.
Any person who needs dialysis or has questions about where to receive care before, during, or after the storm is asked to call 1-800-626-1297. The line is available 24 hours a day and will be up for at least a week.
There are also 1-800 numbers on the Kidney Community Emergency Response (KCER) website to help get patients placed in facilities.
Pharmacy Operations
Rx Open is activated for Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. The map was last updated at 2 pm ET, September 2. As of this update:
5.8%% of participating pharmacies in Alabama were reporting Closed or Unknown.
25.1% of participating pharmacies in Louisiana were reporting Closed or Unknown.
4.3% of participating pharmacies in Mississippi were reporting Closed or Unknown.
4.9%% of participating pharmacies in New Jersey were reporting Closed or Unknown.
8.1%% of participating pharmacies in New York were reporting Closed or Unknown.
Additional pharmacy closures are expected to be reflected in the next update of the map. The map will be updated the afternoon of Friday, September 3.
To get an emergency refill, individuals should take their prescription bottle to any TRICARE retail network pharmacy. To find a network pharmacy, either call Express Scripts at 1-877-363-1303 or search the network pharmacy locator.
Under the same Rule, a pharmacist licensed in another state may dispense prescription medications in Louisiana if they adhere to certain conditions in the Rule.
Evacuations and Curfews
Louisiana:
The Department of Health and Human Services is establishing a patient evacuation site at Louis Armstrong International Airport, to be staffed with a Disaster Medical Assistance Team and Joint Patient Movement Team.
Sheltering
Louisiana
To find updated information on statewide shelters, individuals can text “lashelter” to 898-211. They can also call 211 to speak with representatives who will determine whether the individual needs to be diverted to a medical shelter.
New Orleans residents should text DELTA to 888777 or text NOLAREADY to 77295.
The Department of Housing and Urban Development is offering assistance through providing immediate foreclosure relief, making mortgage insurance available, making insurance available for mortgages and home rehabilitation, sharing information on available providers, and offering additional flexibilities to communities in impacted parishes.
The Hospitality Hub website, lafayettetravel.com/hospitality-hub, has launched to connect those displaced by Hurricane Ida with hotels, disaster relief in Lafayette, LA.
Pennsylvania
Water from the Schuylkill River flowed onto the Vine Street Expressway. Residents in Manayunk had been asked to shelter in place, and debris could be seen floating down the streets, reports indicate.
Individuals in Philadelphia, PA with property that is uninhabitable, contact the Red Cross at 1-800-RED-CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or head to one of the city and Red Cross-operated reception centers, which are now open for those who were affected by Ida.
Currently, Roxborough High School (6498 Ridge Ave.) is open for those who need shelter or assistance.
A reception center formerly located at West Philadelphia High School has closed.
Mississippi
Shelter openings by county are available from the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency.
Other Organizations
Individuals can also search for open American Red Cross shelters here.
They can call 1-800-RED CROSS (800-733-2767) or download the free Red Cross Emergency app for shelter locations.
The non-profit Airbnb.org is offering to support responders and displaced households in need of a temporary place to stay.
For more information about placement for individuals in need, please reach out to alerts@healthcareready.org and we will connect you directly with Airbnb.
Point of Distribution Sites and Cooling Centers
Please click here to find a full list of cooling centers, supply distribution sites, and meal distribution sites in the New Orleans area from September 2 through September 10.
As of September 2, a list of multiple locations offering free meals, supplies, water, and ice can be found here broken down by parishes.
Point of Distribution (POD) sites and cooling centers are also being stood up across the affected areas.
St. Charles Parish has established a POD site that will be open from 8 am to 5 pm or until supplies run out. The items being distributed there are ice, water, and MREs.
West Bank Bridge Park
Plaquemines Parish has established a meal distribution site along with the Salvation Army. It is open from 2 pm to 6 pm and more sites will open over the next couple of days.
Belle Chasse Middle School
St. James Parish has established two POD sites that will be open daily from 8 am to 5 pm. As of now, the only items being distributed there are MRE's and water.
West Bank Location: St. James High School in Vacherie
East Bank Location: Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church in Gramercy
Additionally, St. James’s parish transit busses will be delivering water and MRE's to hard-hit areas where debris has prevented residents from traveling to the POD site.
Tangipahoa Parish has established three POD sites that will be open every day from 8 am - 6 pm. The supplies that are being distributed are water, ice, MREs, and tarps. The Parish has established a meal distribution site and worked with the Mission Church to distribute bottled water.
The POD sites are at three different Walmart locations:
2799 W Thomas St, Hammond, LA 70401
1200 W Oak St, Amite City, LA 70422
1331 US-51, Ponchatoula, LA 70454
Mission Church bottled water distribution until supplies last:
41347 I-55 Frontage Rd, Hammond, LA 70403
Jefferson Parish has established two POD sites that are distributing water, ice, MREs, and tarps. The Parish has also stood up a water distribution center.
The US Chamber activated the National Disaster Help Desk to assist small businesses, chambers, and their communities. Their number is 888-MY-BIZ-HELP or 888-692-4943. They are available 24/7 to support with steps for recovery and navigating federal programs, as well as directing them to local resources.
Louisiana
New Orleans has created an alternative number to 911 (504-671-3600) for those unable to connect to 911.
911 and 311 services are fully operational.
Residents should call 911 for emergencies and 311 (504-658-2299) for non-emergencies
Residents with medical needs can sign up for the Special Needs Registry at specialneeds.nola.gov or call 3-1-1 to sign up.
Companies reported over 450,000 subscribers out of service.
The Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base New Orleans, Tangipahoa Parish Comm, and West Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office are reported as down.
St. Mary’s Parish has re-routed 911 calls to other telephone lines with no location information.
St. John Parish Sheriff’s Office has re-routed 911 calls to another PSAP with location information.
St. Bernard’s Fire, St. Bernard’s Sheriff’s Office, St. Charles County LA, and Terrebonne Parish Comm have re-routed 911 calls to the administrative lines without location information.
No significant changes since August 31 (8/31 sit-rep)
Louisiana
Louisiana has a statewide credentialing and access program to facilitate post-disaster re-entry. The system permits individuals and organizations to register for re-entry credentials. Access and re-entry decisions are communicated by the Louisiana State Police and the Emergency Responder ID Trust Network (ER-ITN).
Mississippi
Mississippi also utilizes the ER-ITN statewide credentialing and access program to facilitate post-disaster re-entry. The system permits individuals and organizations to register for re-entry credentials. Access and re-entry decisions are communicated by the Mississippi State Police and ER-ITN.
Alabama
Alabama does not have a statewide credentialing and access program to facilitate post-disaster re-entry. County-level Emergency Management Agencies are authorized to manage access and re-entry decisions.
Port Closing
There are no significant changes to this section since 9/1 (9/1 Situation Report)
As of August 28, at 2 pm CT, the US Coast Guard’s Caption of the Port (COTP) New Orleans set Port Condition ZULU for the Lower Mississippi River. Traffic control measures that are in effect include no vessel movement (entry or transit) on the Lower Mississippi River in affected areas.
As of August 30, the Port of Southern Louisiana is operating on restricted Operations as per the COTP.
Essential personnel are assessing the situation and will follow up with updates as soon as possible.
As of September 1, the Port is reporting that multiple facilities within took damage.
At the Port of New Orleans, the New Orleans Terminal and Ports America for containerized operations remain closed as of September 1. Additionally, Empire, Coastal Cargo, Gulf Stream Marine, and Ports American also remain closed as of September 1. The Inner Harbor Navigation Canal will continue to be closed until further notice.
Initial reports have indicated no major damage at this time. The Port is coordinating with navigation partners, local, and state officials to resume operations safely and quickly.
The St Bernard Port administration office is closed until Monday, September 6, with plans to re-open Tuesday, September 7.
All maritime operations are on hold until further notice.
Oxygen Supply
The oxygen supply concern goes beyond just hospital supply – individual canisters and tanks used by discharged Covid patients and those with disabilities were also in high demand.
Oxygen-dependent residents in New Orleans can get a free full tank at four different oxygen exchange locations. The following locations are open from 8 am to 6 pm daily:
4500 Old Gentilly Rd
2500 General de Gaulle Dro
5403 Read Blvd
2920 Magazine St
Boil Water Advisory
No significant updates since the 9/1 situation report
Fuel (both gasoline and diesel) are expected to be primary limiting factors for supply chain operations throughout the rest of the response due to the considerable number of facilities and utilities running on generator power.
Initial reports from fuel suppliers and distributors indicate that gas station shortages may be upcoming. We are tracking this with a specific lens to the impact on the health sector.
Louisiana
The State of Louisiana is managing the response and coordination for fuel needs. Requests for fuel should be routed to the state.
Other Actions
If you become aware of situation(s) that may adversely affect healthcare supply or care in the affected area, or if you would like to request the assistance of Healthcare Ready, please contact us at Alerts@HealthcareReady.org or call 1.866.247.2694.
We are standing by, ready to assist those in the impacted areas. For those of you in the affected areas, our thoughts are with you.
Rx on the Run, a downloadable medication card for citizens to keep track of their medications.
Message sent to Healthcare Ready national partners and those registered for alerts in: LA, MS, AL
Healthcare Ready leverages unique relationships with government, nonprofit and medical supply chains to build and enhance the resiliency of communities before, during and after disasters.
