then closer up here, still outside the hurricane protection system, an area called laffit and lower laffit their homes and we're getting ready of reports of people with water up to their chest. very, very dire situation, and we just can't get out yet. >> that is dire. what else are you hearing from people calling in? that is horrific. >> it is horrific. the electrical grid is almost out. we're probably at 95% out of electricity. a very large transmission tower came down that fed a lot of our community. so we're getting reports of roof damage, you know, trees down, tree roots pulling up and damaging water mains. so now our water pressure is going down. so, you know, we are also responding to and assisted actually a condominium where there's some elderly people living there, and their roof partially collapsed. we're trying to get them out to a church across the street. so it is very, very busy here, and we're -- we just can't respond yet. >> right. i mean so what are you doing in these cases? when you get a call like that with these senior citizens or the person who has, you know, water up t

in lower laffite south of new orleans flooding reportedly sent some people to their rooftops.r town nearby. levee overtopping being blamed for some of it as well. however, unlike during katrina which hit 16 years ago to the day before hurricane ida the big levees protecting new orleans did not give way. so there is a lot to be thankful for. not seeing anything like what transpired back then. >> there's been a preliminary damage assessment of levees today, people getting eyes on those levees. we don't believe there was a single levee anywhere now that actually breached, that failed. >> and that is no small thing. cnn's ed lavandera joins us now from gonzalez, lieu ewe on the road between new orleans and baton rouge. what kind of damage have you seen, ed? >> reporter: well, anderson, the amount of damage we've seen this far inland from where hurricane ida came ashore is rather quite impressive. decent amount of structural damage, downed power lines everywhere we've been, and people having to be rescued and taken out of neighborhoods all through this region. essentially the eye o

i really appreciate your time there in jean laffite. we'll stay in touch. >> all right.he hours ahead. now, tracking the dangerous hurricane for us, meteorologist pedram javaheri. what a day it's been. >> my goodness. going on 11 hours, michael, since the landfall of this storm system and still at this hour on satellite imagery all quadrants of this storm as impressive as it gets, as organized and as symmetrical as it gets. really impressive for any storm even once it moves out of the ocean and makes landfall within that initial hour. but for 11-plus hours this is as incredible as a storm gets here with the organization moving just about 40 or so miles east of baton rouge in the past hour. we know wind gusts between 70 to 90 miles per hour are already being felt inland between 30 and 40 miles away from the center of the storm. near center winds 105 miles per hour. that is six miles per hour shy of a major hurricane. again, more than 11 hours over land here. and you'll notice the organization, i wouldn't be surprised, michael, that this storm system maintains hurricane in

he's in a little town called laffit. i spoke with him a little while ago.t shrimp boat. they're holding up okay but they can sense the disaster unfolding all around them. how worried are you about how bad things are around you once this storm passes? >> well, i'm worried about the damage it's done to my community. like i say, i tell my family all the time and everybody else that tells me that i need to leave. i feel comfortable here. you know, i feel safe here. and -- on the boat. i know my community took a beating. i mean, i seen transformers blow up on the other side of the bayou from right here. >> and jim, he has been able to communicate with several friends basically doing the same thing and riding out the storm on their boats. he says they've been recording some staggering wind gusts in the last few hours, jim. >> i'm sure, ed. i hate to say it but i wish he wouldn't be riding out the storm on a shrimp boat but you and i both know, having traveled those parts, you're not going to talk some of those captains out of abandoning ship no matter how big the

there's still search and rescue operations, especially in and around laffit, louisiana high water rescues hundreds of boats. 43 helicopters out there the search is on updates as we get them back to you. >> shepard smith, thank you. >>> so let's talk more about the energy impact. louisiana accounts for about 18% of total u.s. oil and gas refining and right now, most, if not all of it, is currently shut down. all right. companies with refineries or other operations in louisiana are -- there's your map. marathon mpc, not mro, by the way two marathons. they have the state's biggest refinery exxonmobil a huge baton rouge plant moments ago coming out and saying they see no structural damage should be up and running soon. valero, they have two in the new orleans area you also have a shell facility, pbs and phillips 66. now in the lake charles area, it really is all about citgo's massive refinery with a couple of smaller ones from phillips 66 and trans world oil. citgo refinery one of the biggest in the united states that's on the refining side. most if not all of that, currently is shut down or

but in laffite about 20 miles south of here, a tiny little town they did it anyway. in the height of the storm, they were able to get in rescue 27 people who needed help. right then they were back out it again today, rescuing another 80 an amazing story of heroism here in all of this destruction, all right. residents across the gulf coast are facing scenes of destruction like this in new orleans and beyond, item made landfall sunday, is one of the most powerful storms to ever hit the u. s rescue operations began today, many using black hawk helicopters reaching trapped residents is a challenge as power lines and trees litter roadways across the state. despite this, officials are confident they can begin searching for residents stuck in their homes. we know that individuals are out there waiting to be rescued. because their homes are not habitable, many place so we're gonna do everything we can to get to all the individuals who need help. more than two million residents are without power in louisiana and mississippi. utility crews say it will likely take days to deter