A collapsed highway resulted in two drivers falling to their deaths and injuries to at least 10 others as Hurricane Ida made its way into Mississippi.
Mississippi Highway Patrol and emergency rescue teams were called Monday night to help on Highway 26 in George County. A total of seven cars were involved in the accident, according to WDSU-TV.
MONSTER HURRICANE IDA MAKES LANDFALL ON 16TH ANNIVERSARY OF KATRINA
Cpl. Cal Robertson with the Mississippi Highway Patrol said that the heavy rain may have caused the collapse of the highway, which is roughly 50 to 60 feet in length and 20 to 30 feet deep. Robertson said that it is possible that drivers were not able to see the collapsed highway due to the rain and that a crane would be needed to lift their vehicles out of the hole.
While Mississippi was able to avoid the most extreme weather from Hurricane Ida, it has still taken a beating from the storm as it continues its path along the Gulf Coast. More than 120,000 Mississippi residents lost power due to the storm. In its neighboring state, Louisiana, over 1 million residents have experienced blackouts.
President Joe Biden announced on Monday that over 5,000 members of the National Guard had been activated from Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Texas to help in recovery and search-and-rescue efforts.
“And we’ve deployed more than 200 generators, and we already moved into the region; they’ve been moved in ahead of time,” Biden said. “And the Administrator Criswell and her team at FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) is working getting [sic] more of those into the area.”
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Likewise, Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida announced that he and the Florida Division of Emergency Management would be deploying resources to help Louisiana and Mississippi recover from Hurricane Ida.
“The state of Florida stands with both our Gulf Coast neighbors as they face the devastation left by Hurricane Ida,” Gov. Ron DeSantis said. “I am proud that we are able to deploy aid to both Mississippi and Louisiana during their time of need, just as others help Florida when disaster strikes here. We will continue to coordinate with both states to identify needed resources.”
