A major disaster has been declared in Louisiana as Hurricane Ida claimed its first victim and New Orleans was blacked out in a massive power cut.
The sheriff's office in Ascension Parish, near Baton Rouge, reported a 60-year-old man had been killed when a tree felled by the powerful storm crashed on to his house.
The White House said US President Joe Biden had declared the major disaster, which makes federal funds available to aid recovery efforts in the areas hit by the hurricane.
"Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programmes to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster," the White House said.
Ida made landfall in Louisiana as a Category 4 storm with winds of 150mph on Sunday.
Power to the whole New Orleans metropolitan area was lost due to the failure of all eight transmission lines that deliver electricity to the city, according to utility firm Entergy Louisiana.
For more stories from where you live, visit InYourArea.
