New Orleans Issues Flood Watch as City Recovers From Ida, Nearly 500K Without Power

New Orleans, still recovering from Hurricane Ida, is under another flood watch.

A flash flood watch is in effect until 9 p.m. on Monday, according to NOLA Ready. The city's emergency preparedness campaign warned storm-related debris could block drains and advised residents to stay "weather aware."

The National Weather Service (NWS) said the area could see more than 2 inches of rain per hour as slow-moving thunderstorms roll through the state.

"Heavy rainfall possible going into the afternoon and evening hours inside of thunderstorm development," the agency's New Orleans office tweeted. "Rainfall rates could be 2+ inches per hour inside storms. Stay weather aware today, especially if working outside or doing outside cleanup efforts. Stay safe!"

New Orleans is still reeling from Ida, which made landfall in Louisiana last week as a Category 4 hurricane. The storm brought 150 mph winds and a deluge of rain, prompting severe damage and flooding.

More than 489,000 residents were still without power as of Monday afternoon, according to PowerOutage.Us—an online project that collects live power outage data from utilities across the country.

Full restoration of electricity could take until the end of the month, the head of Entergy Louisiana warned over the weekend. "The level of devastation makes it quite difficult or near impossible to get in and fully assess some places," said Entergy President and CEO Phillip May.

City officials provided an update on recovery efforts Sunday, saying transportation assistance was still available to state-run shelters for residents who want to temporarily leave the damaged area.

The New Orleans Health Department has also continued wellness checks at multiple senior apartment complexes in New Orleans. The department has evacuated eight facilities that were deemed unfit for ongoing occupancy.

Last week, those who evacuated New Orleans before Ida were told not to return. But on Sunday, Mayor LaToya Cantrell encouraged evacuees to begin returning home as power is being restored.

At least 10 people died as a result of Hurricane Ida, according to the Louisiana Health Department. The death of the tenth victim, a 59-year-old man who was poisoned by carbon monoxide coming from a generator in his home, was announced on Friday.

Among the victims were four nursing home residents who were evacuated to a warehouse during the hurricane and later died. State Attorney General Jeff Landry said his office will investigate the transfer of the nursing home residents.

President Joe Biden toured the damage in Louisiana last week, vowing to help the state recover.

"This isn't about being a Democrat or a Republican," Biden said. "We're Americans and we'll get through this together."