Hurricane Issac: thousands still In the dark across Louisiana and Mississippi

September 3, 2012 – NEW ORLEANS — Tens of thousands of customers remained in the dark Monday in Louisiana and Mississippi, days after Isaac inundated the Gulf Coast with a deluge that still has some low-lying areas under water. Most of those were in Louisiana, where utilities reported more than 100,000 people without power as of Monday morning. Thousands also were without power in Mississippi and Arkansas. Thousands of evacuees remained at shelters or bunked with friends or relatives. “My family is split up,” said Angela Serpas, from severely flooded Braithwaite in Plaquemines Parish. Serpas and her daughter were staying with her in-laws while her husband and son were staying in Belle Chasse, a suburban area of the parish. “This is the second time we’ve lost our home. We lost it in Katrina,” she said. Meanwhile, inspectors from the Federal Emergency Management Agency are out trying to get a handle on losses. Residents can apply for grants to get help with home repairs and temporary housing, among other expenses. President Barack Obama was to visit Louisiana on Monday, a day ahead of the Democratic National Convention. He will meet with local officials, tour storm damage, and view response and recovery efforts before addressing reporters at Saint John the Baptist Parish, the White House said. Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney visited the state Friday. Obama’s Homeland Security Secretary, Janet Napolitano, visited Bay St. Louis, Miss., and Slidell, La., on Sunday. “We are part of a team to make sure Hurricane Isaac is put to rest as soon as we can for all those affected,” Napolitano said. “In the meantime, please know all of us are thinking about those in Louisiana who are without their homes or without their businesses.” –HP