METAIRIE, La. (WGNO) — What was once called minor damage to WGNO’s studio is now seen as extensive and major in the light of day.
WGNO is located on the 8th floor of the Galleria skyscraper in Metairie, Louisiana. Drone video taken early Monday morning highlights the destruction Hurricane Ida left in her wake.
On Sunday night, it appeared the Galleria sustained only minor damage. A couple of leaky ceiling tiles, an unexplained draft in the hall, and a crushed satellite dish were originally noted. That initial damage can be seen in a photo gallery from inside the WGNO News Studio.
In the video below, taken Sunday afternoon, you can see debris from the roof of a nearby building flying by the camera and crashing into one of the WGNO satellite dishes. Insulation from another nearby building is hanging on the side of the Galleria.
Ida, one of the most powerful hurricanes ever to hit the U.S. mainland, weakened into a tropical storm overnight as it pushed inland over Mississippi with torrential rain and shrieking winds, its danger far from over.
Ida was blamed for at least one death — someone hit by a falling tree outside Baton Rouge. But with many roads impassable and cellphone service knocked out in places, the full extent of its fury was still coming into focus.
All of New Orleans lost power right around sunset Sunday as the hurricane blew ashore on the 16th anniversary of Katrina, leading to an uneasy night of pouring rain and howling wind.
Ida’s 150-mph winds tied it for the fifth-strongest hurricane ever to hit the mainland. Its winds were down to 45 mph early Monday.
Ida was expected to pick up speed Monday night before dumping rain on the Tennessee and Ohio River valleys Tuesday, the Appalachian Mountain region Wednesday and the nation’s capital on Thursday.
Forecasters said flash flooding and mudslides are possible along Ida’s path before it blows out to sea over New England on Friday.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.