Day 2 post-Ida: Much of Baton Rouge still without power, crews clear roads of toppled trees and powerlines, heat advisory in effect

The Advocate's Top Headlines

with Jennifer Wadsworth | Assistant metro editor

It's Day 2 post-Ida.

Just about half the state remains without power, including about 250,000 customer accounts in the capital region. Remember, each account on average represents a few or more people, which means the number of individual people without power is much higher than that figure.

Compounding the problem is the sweltering heat, which triggered an advisory in effect through this evening.

Getting around has been tough, too. With crews clearing downed trees and powerlines and emergency responders traversing the state, roads are still tricky to navigate for miles around. So, we've been posting information about road closures, which you can find here.

Livingston Parish closed waterways as rivers rise.

Meanwhile, officials have been trying to get resources to the people who need them. The Baton Rouge Area Chamber of Commerce has been asking locals to tell them how their business was damaged, so they can get an idea of how to help. For most everyone else, FEMA is asking them to start the process of filing insurance claims and applying for grants, loans or reimbursements. Here's some info about how to get that going.

We've also been updating a running list of Baton Rouge-area closures, which you can find here.

To get the latest updates, sign up for our new mobile alerts by texting "IDA" to (225) 414-6471.

Thanks for reading. Stay safe.