Terrifying videos show Hurricane Ida blast Louisiana, tear off hospital roof, intense storm surge floods Gulf Coast



Hurricane Ida slammed into Louisiana on Sunday, pounding the shoreline with devastating wind and dangerous storm surges.

Hurricane Ida made landfall Sunday at 12:55 p.m. near Port Fourchon, Louisiana, which is 16 years after Hurricane Katrina ravaged the state. The Category 4 storm packed powerful winds of 150 mph, which makes Ida one of only three hurricanes that made Louisiana landfall with sustained winds of that magnitude, joining Laura (2020) and the Last Island Hurricane (1856). The National Hurricane Center declared Ida still to be a Category 4 hurricane in its 6 p.m. EST update.

The storm surge, which was projected to be up to 15 feet in some parts of the region, was so intense that it forced the mighty Mississippi River to flow in reverse as massive amounts of seawater was pushed ashore, according to Bloomberg.

EYE OF A MONSTER: @NOAA's #GOESEast 🛰️ gives an up-close look at the lightning swirling around the eye of… https://t.co/SCH7Sn7PMh

— NOAA Satellites (@NOAASatellites) 1630247465.0

"This is not the kind of storm that we normally get," Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards said. "This is going to be much stronger than we usually see and, quite frankly, if you had to draw up the worst possible path for a hurricane in Louisiana, it would be something very, very close to what we're seeing."

Edwards requested a Presidential Major Disaster Declaration, "Hurricane Ida is one of the strongest storms to ever hit Louisiana. It is our goal to assist our local agencies and the citizens of the state as quickly as possible, and we have pre-positioned search and rescue teams, boats and other assets to begin helping people as soon as it is safe."

Hurricane Ida made landfall in the United States as an extremely dangerous Category 4 storm that could plunge much… https://t.co/uSmE9Nu6ko

— Reuters (@Reuters) 1630274760.0

Security camera footage from a fire station in Delacroix shows how much water rushed into the coastal areas in only one hour.

Before and after security camera footage from Fire Station #12 in Delacroix within a 1 hour time span.… https://t.co/SThvDscj4y

— St. Bernard Parish (@StBGov) 1630262121.0

Terrifying video shows Hurricane Ida tear off the roof of the Lady of the Sea General Hospital in Galliano, Louisiana.

LAFOURCE PARISH: Part of the roof of Lady of the Sea General Hospital, in Galliano, blew off. 😳@BrennanMatherne tol… https://t.co/ANINQffSNT

— Christina Watkins (@CWatkinsWDSU) 1630269527.0

The monster storm ripped off a roof and tossed it onto the street in New Orleans' French Quarter, where there is a flash flood warning.

1:45pm: Remarkable wind damage already taking place on Decatur Street in the French Quarter. https://t.co/xs8387Ngtx

— Markie Martin (@MarkieMartin) 1630262886.0


Part of a roof flew off in the #frenchquarter taking out a street light. Stay safe during #HurricaneIda @CBSMiami https://t.co/CzNt8YXuKF

— Ted Scouten (@CBS4Ted) 1630263375.0

Furious winds and pelting rain blasted Houma, Louisiana.

A large tree was uprooted and fell on a home in Morgan City.

Large tree uprooted and topped onto home in Morgan City, LA. Woman was asleep when it hit her house. She is fine.… https://t.co/jZD0L2U56D

— Charles Peek (@CharlesPeekWX) 1630267176.0

Nearly 600,000 customers in Louisiana are without power.

Hurricane Ida shut down more than 95% of the oil production in the Gulf of Mexico, according to regulators, which is expected to increase gas prices.

Check out this video from an off-shore oil rig right as Hurricane #Ida gets set to make landfall. Maximum sustained… https://t.co/MCHBUgpMrn

— MyRadar Weather (@MyRadarWX) 1630256318.0

The Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunters flew through Ida's eye twice.

Second pass: https://t.co/h7IyGApoXe

— Hurricane Hunters (@53rdWRS) 1630269853.0

Customs and Border Protection officers have seized thousands of fake COVID vaccine cards shipped from China to all over US



U.S. Customs and Border Protection have intercepted bundles of counterfeit coronavirus vaccine cards that were shipped from Shenzhen, China, to recipients all over the United States, the agency said Friday.

CBP officials said in a statement that thousands of fake vaccine cards were seized at the port of Memphis, a major shipping hub. The cards were printed with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention logo and had blank spaces for the recipient's name and birthdate, the vaccine maker, lot number, and date and place the shot was given.

The cards were identified as fakes by numerous typos, unfinished words, and misspelled Spanish verbiage on the back. Additionally, they were imported by a non-CDC or medical entity, which tipped customs agents off.

NEW: Border Protection officers in Memphis stopped a HUGE shipment of fake COVID vaccine cards heading to New Orlea… https://t.co/dwNkeQPBrf

— Christina Watkins (@CWatkinsWDSU) 1628882321.0

Several state and local governments and private businesses have sought to impose vaccine mandates as the number of COVID-19 cases has risen nationwide this summer. Some public places like bars, schools, and other settings where large numbers of people may gather are being told to require patrons to show proof of vaccination to gain entry. Fake vaccine cards are a means by which people who do not wish to take a COVID-19 vaccine are attempting to circumvent the restrictions.

An Associated Press report found that fake vaccine cards were available for purchase online from $25 to as much as $200. The falsified vaccination documents have become popular on college campuses, as at least 675 colleges and universities now require proof of COVID-19 vaccinations.

In March, the FBI issued a warning that counterfeiting vaccine cards or purchasing fake cards is a violation of federal laws against the unauthorized use of an official government agency's seal, punishable by up to five years in prison.

"If you did not receive the vaccine, do not buy fake vaccine cards, do not make your own vaccine cards, and do not fill-in blank vaccination record cards with false information," the FBI said.

CBP said agents confiscated 121 packages containing more than 3,000 fake vaccine cards.

"These vaccinations are free and available everywhere," Michael Neipert, area port director of Memphis, said. "If you do not wish to receive a vaccine, that is your decision. But don't order a counterfeit, waste my officer's time, break the law, and misrepresent yourself. CBP Officers at the Area Port of Memphis remain committed to stopping counterfeit smuggling and helping to protect our communities. But just know that when you order a fake vaxx card, you are using my officers time as they also seize fentanyl and methamphetamines."