Alexandrine Ford Science 09.02.2021 13:Sep PM EDT

Hurricane Ida Power Outage Map from Space: Devastation Seen from NASA Satellite, Electricity Restoration Will Be A Long Process

The devastation of Hurricane Ida can be mapped out from space through NASA's space satellite showing power outages after lines and infrastructures were damaged. Energy Provider DEMCO says restoring power can take weeks.

Power Outage From Space

Hurricane Ida's fierce winds, rain, and storm surge caused devastation after devastation across Louisiana. Downed lines and damaged transmission towers all over the state leave citizens without power. Many have also lost access to running water and even gasoline due to the damaged infrastructures, Sci Tech Daily reported.

NASA's team of scientists was able to map out the devastation. The Goddard Space Flight Center and the Universities Space Research Association or USRA used satellite data to track the damage caused by Hurricane Ida.

Images collected included nighttime lights data acquired on August 9 and 31 by the Suomi NPP Satellite.

The Black Marble Project by the USRA captured the aftermath of Hurricane Ida's wake. The Black Marble imagery captured a log of diesel-power/backup generation as well.

The @NOAA /NASA #SuomiNPP 🛰️ captured the extent of the power outages across eastern Louisiana after Hurricane #Ida. Imagery from this morning is compared to August 9, and shows a significant drop in nighttime lights around New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Slidell, and Hammond, LA. pic.twitter.com/8c8k7TvVRB
— NOAA Satellites (@NOAASatellites) August 31, 2021

Hurricane Ida Power Outage Map: Electricity Restoration

More than 985,000 customers reported having no access to power by the morning of September 1, PowerOutage.US reported, noting that the total considers homes and businesses, and not individual people. Mississippi had 33,000 customers reporting no power access as well.

A lot of the damage was caused by falling trees and branches. The winds caused trees and power lines and poles to be uprooted and cause damage to surrounding infrastructures.

According to WAFB Channel 9, restoring power can take weeks. Energy provider DEMCO advises its members to "make plans now for their health, safety, and comfort" as they begin the "weeks-long process" of bringing power back up to its members.

NASA’s Atmospheric Infrared Sounder captured Hurricane Ida before & after it made landfall. The eye of the strong Category 4 storm appears over the Louisiana coast as a small blue-green area in the midst of an area linked w/ heavy rainfall (purple patch). https://t.co/yEXvrgwCaa pic.twitter.com/tIYQ58o30k
— NASA JPL (@NASAJPL) August 31, 2021

A problem DEMCO is currently facing is repairing transmission and transformer poles which have taken a hit, making resting power to members take more time. Damaged Infrastructures also get in the way of replacing distribution poles and lines. According to DEMCO's Facebook post on Tuesday, August 31, estimated times of restoration are not possible.

The energy provider assures members that crews are beginning the work, replacing and repairing damaged electrical infrastructure that is in their means to do so, despite their outage website going down Tuesday afternoon, WAFB Channel 9 said.

Entergy has cleared off most inroads in East Baton Rouge Parish, providing reconnected power over the course of the day, Wednesday, Septer 1, The Advocate reported.

Restoration efforts made by utility and electricity companies do not have a definite schedule as of the moment, considering the swath of destruction caused by Hurricane Ida. As DEMCO says, the current repair work is "as-they-go fixes."

Utility companies are bringing in more than 25,000 workers out of state to help in the repair efforts. Meanwhile, residents are preparing generators, heading to hotels, and doing whatever they can while waiting for power reconnections.