Hurricane Ida: IL Search And Rescue Team Headed To Louisiana

ILLINOIS — An Illinois search and rescue team is headed to Louisiana after Hurricane Ida's catastrophic winds and floodwaters left hundreds there trapped and more than a million without power. Forty-six first responders from a statewide mutual aid task force left for the Bayou State Monday and will be deployed to the area for 16 days, according to a news release.

Ida made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane near Port Fourchon, Louisiana, Sunday — 16 years to the day after Hurricane Katrina devastated the same area. Two people have been confirmed dead, but that number is expected to rise over the coming days. Summer temperatures are sweltering, and state officials said it could be weeks before power — and with it, air conditioning and refrigeration — is restored to much of the state.

"Illinois is ready to help our fellow Americans, and Hurricane Ida is doing untold damage in Louisiana," Gov. J.B. Pritzker said in a statement. "This life-threatening storm is creating extremely dangerous conditions for residents who did not evacuate and Louisiana's first responders. Illinois' brave first responders are well-trained and will work alongside local rescue teams in the coming days to provide essential support for affected residents."

Officials said local authorities requested assistance through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact, an interstate mutual aid agreement, and have been coordinating with the Illinois Emergency Management Agency to allocate resources where they are needed.

The Illinois urban search and rescue team, which is capable of on-the-spot medical care and emergency transportation, will work alongside local first responders to save people and animals from flooded areas, officials said.