With Washington Parish now done with Ida's wind and rain, what remains is cleaning up Ida's mess.
Plus handling a shortage of gas and no power for many parish residents.
The storm was predicted to be on the scale of Katrina, but many local residents would probably agree that Katrina was far worse. Yes, the gasoline shortages are a problem, but they are expected to be temporary. Some of the shortages results not from local residents buying gas, but rather from out of parish people. Gas deliveries are enroute to Franklinton and as we saw after Katrina, the gas problem will gradually fade away.
WST has workers toiling away around the clock to solve the power problem. Franklinton residents came back on line Monday evening, and in the rural areas the lights are gradually clicking on. With the exception of a few extreme cases, WST expects to have everyone in the parish up before long.
Cleaning up Ida's mess may take longer. The storm left many downed trees and fallen branches. Those blocking roadways have, for the most part, already been cut or removed. Based on what we saw after Katrina, it will take weeks, if not months, before all of the fallen trees, brush, and branches are removed.
Another concern is flooding. Because of heavy rainfall in Mississippi from Ida, the Bogue Chitto is being watched by local authorities. It is believed that it crested Monday night in Franklinton and is now gradually going down. However, those near the river need to watch the advisories.
The photo above, by Terryl Hicks, shows the sound booth at the Washington Parish Fairgrounds. Ida pushed a tree into the sound booth, as if the Fairgrounds needed any more damage!
