2021 Hurricane Ida
Hurricane Ida was one of the most powerful storms to hit the United States in recent years, causing significant damage and widespread power outages in Louisiana and Mississippi. The storm surge on Grand Isle, Louisiana, reached over 10 feet and caused extensive flooding. The storm resulted in at least 96 deaths and caused an estimated $95 billion in damages.
The RAPID Facility deployed instrumentation — including drones and the Micasense Altum multispectral and thermal camera — immediately before landfall of Hurricane Ida to support early reconnaissance efforts of Navid Jafari, an associate professor at Louisiana State University.
After Hurricane Ida, RAPID Facility staff and instrumentation deployed to Grand Isle, LA, for reconnaissance led by Associate Professor Navid Jafari of Louisiana State University and Associate Professor Adda Athanasopoulos-Zekkos of University of California, Berkeley. The team measured nearshore bathymetric changes, damage to the coastal levee and post-hurricane waste management. Instrumentation included multiple drones, the Leica RTC360 scanner and the Z-boat.
