by Starla Muhammad and Shawntell Muhammad
Historic, biblical proportions, catastrophic and apocalyptic. These are just a few of the words being used to describe the aftermath of Hurricane Ida which ripped through the Gulf Coast before heading up the Northeast portion of the country, leaving behind a path of destruction and death.
Federal, state and local officials and millions of American citizens are still reeling and trying to recover in the aftermath of one of the most powerful hurricanes to hit the Gulf Coast in years.
Days after hitting the Gulf Coast, remnants of Hurricane Ida struck the Northeastern states bringing historic floods in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Connecticut. For the first time in New York’s history, the National Weather Service issued a flash flood emergency, urging residents to move to higher ground.
Dangerous floods, record rains and tornadoes resulted in the deaths of at least 60 people, including a two-year-old, at Final Call press time.
The National Weather Service reported, rainfall in Central Park broke a 94-year-old record dropping 3.1 inches of rain in one hour; while Newark, N.J. broke a 62-year-old record.
The Port of Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates the major airports in the region, said that all flights had been suspended.
“The storm had caused 59,519 power outages statewide and these numbers are climbing,” Gov. Phil Murphy of New Jersey said on Twitter. “That of the 23 victims in the state of New Jersey, most of the deaths were people who got caught in their vehicles by flooding and were overtaken by the water. Our prayers are with their family members,” he added.
The remnants of Hurricane Ida triggered thunderstorms that also spawned at least seven tornadoes that struck parts of New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Princeton in Mercer County and Upper Makefield Township in Bucks County, Pa., and other areas reported twisters that damaged multiple homes. New Jersey gets an average of two tornados per year but in 2021 has already been hit by 13.
“We’re moving into a world we’ve never seen. When people say, ‘flooding in New York City,’ what is our reference for that? I don’t think anyone could imagine subways flooding that dramatically. I think it’s a matter of getting people to take warnings more seriously, because now we’ve seen what can happen,” Tripti Bhattacharya, an assistant professor of earth and environmental sciences at Syracuse University, told NPR in a Sept. 3 interview.
Hurricane Ida made landfall August 29, off the Louisiana coastline. The Category 4 hurricane sustained winds of 150 miles per hour, damaging vehicles, ripping roofs off buildings and homes, uprooting trees, cutting water off to 600,000 homes and knocking out power to over one million homes in southern Louisiana. Power to New Orleans’ 911 emergency response system was temporarily disabled during the hurricane.
An estimated total damage and economic loss from the hurricane, calculated by AccuWeather, could reach $70 to $80 billion. This tally includes both insured and uninsured losses; damage to structures and their contents and to cars; job and wage losses; business losses; travel disruption; and medical expenses. The estimate also includes long term impact on affected industries, including tourism and oil and gas production.
“We’ve been monitoring this hurricane closely and the devastation it’s caused. To date, six deaths, about a million homes without power in Louisiana and Mississippi. While the catastrophic flooding wasn’t as severe as it was during Hurricane Katrina 16 years ago, Ida was so powerful that it caused the Mississippi River literally to change direction, change the flow, temporarily,” said President Joe Biden.
A few days after the hurricane, power was restored to some of the French Quarter in New Orleans, but over a million people are still without electricity in the area. New Orleans-based power company Entergy is sending out a crew of at least 20,000 workers, which it expects will still take several days to assess the damage in New Orleans and southeast Louisiana. The storm took out all eight power transmission lines in the area along with some generating stations, and customers in that area could face extended power outages lasting for weeks.
President Biden approved Louisiana’s request for a major disaster declaration, allowing federal funding to reach residents and business owners.
The Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) sent 3,600 of its personnel and 3.4 million meals to the storm devastated areas. People have endured waiting in long lines in sweltering heat and humidity for gas, food and supplies.
President Biden visited Louisiana almost a week after the storm to get a firsthand look at the destruction. “This storm has been incredible, not only here but all over the East Coast. I know you’ve got to be frustrated about the restoration of power. We’re working 24-7 with electric companies and supplying generators,” President Biden said in a meeting with officials.
Meanwhile out West, The Caldor Fire had calmed significantly Sept. 3 but remained just a few miles from the California resort town of South Lake Tahoe, reported AP. On Aug. 30 flames raced so quickly toward the city that officials ordered a mass evacuation of all 22,000 residents, the agency noted.
“More than 15,000 firefighters were battling dozens of California blazes that have destroyed at least 1,500 homes. One blaze, the Dixie Fire, was about 65 miles north of the Caldor Fire. It is the second-largest wildfire in state history at about 1,350 square miles and is 55% contained,” added AP.
Student Minister Rodney Muhammad of Mosque No. 12 in Philadelphia extended condolences to the families who have lost loved ones as a result of the impact of Hurricane Ida. “We noticed that this storm Ida, came on the date, 16 years ago of Hurricane Katrina.
There has never been a flood like this in the city of Philadelphia, according to authorities and this water came up substantially high. This city was devastated in terms of its ability to operate and perform at normal capacities,” Student Min. Rodney Muhammad told, The Final Call.
“This is unusual weather, the storms are different now. The authorities have to rethink how to prepare for these storms. These were predictions by the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad in his writings, that Allah always uses that which is with you, as instruments of destruction,” he added.
“The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan said in a 2017 address that ‘the forces of nature were going to intensify.’ We’re seeing that now, it’s been increasingly intensifying throughout the country. Within the last 50 years there’s been a tremendous increase of hurricanes,” said Student Min. Rodney Muhammad.
Meteorologists, climate observers and politicians warn that drought, fires and hurricanes will intensify and blame climate change due to global warming. However, the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad, Eternal Leader of the Nation of Islam, warned America that due to its over 400-year abuse and mistreatment of Black and Indigenous people, God Himself would punish her.
America is surrounded with the Judgement of Allah (God), Mr. Muhammad wrote in his prophetic and illuminating book, “The Fall of America.”
“Why should these things hit America? The Revelations teach you why. It is because America is filled with devils and has such unclean persons living in America. That is true under the symbolism of a hateful bird. Every filthy, slimy, wicked person comes here for a haven, where he can do any wickedness he wants to do–the country is open and welcomes that type of person,” the Hon.
Elijah Muhammad wrote. “America is surrounded with the judgments of Allah–the four great judgments of rain, hail, snow and earthquakes and confusion in the heads of state,” added Mr. Muhammad in the chapter titled, “America Surrounded with The Judgement of Allah.”
His top student, the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan, has warned America for decades to “watch the weather.” The scientists of this world do not cause rain, hail, snow and earthquakes, the Minister has stated.
“So, the Honorable Elijah Muhammad said the Holy Qur’an bears witness that Allah would curtail this place on both sides,” Min. Farrakhan forewarned in a 2019 message titled, “The Man Jesus and How Not To Fall Into Idolatry.”
“He said he wouldn’t buy anything on either coast, because the coasts are going to be flooded. You heard it first here. Now watch the news bear witness that a Messenger of God, a man taught by God, is telling you things that are and things to come,” Min. Farrakhan warned.