On August 29, 2021, the 16th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Ida made landfall near Port Fourchon, Louisiana as a Category 4 hurricane. With sustained winds of 150 mph at landfall, Ida would become one of the most destructive storms in Louisiana history. The damage from wind and storm surge was catastrophic over southeast Louisiana, especially over Terrebonne and Lafourche Parishes. NOAA’s National Geodetic Survey conducted extensive overflights of the region and helped visualize the extent of the impacts and potential pollution sources.

In response to the forecasted landfall, OR&R personnel were staged on the Gulf Coast and provided aerial overflights to assess damage, assisted in opening ports and waterways, and supported missions in response to 282 individual discharges of oil that resulted from the destructive forces of the hurricane. Response efforts concluded on October 6, 2021, with 146 Responsible Parties identified in connection with individual discharges from wells, pipelines, and vessels. 

More information:

• Aug. 2021: Hurricane Ida - National Geodetic Survey Emergency Response Imagery available online
• Sept. 3, 2021: NOAA Providing Scientific Support for Hurricane Ida
• IncidentNews (public database of spill incidents for which NOAA OR&R has provided scientific support)