DTN
Editor's Note: This article was updated midafternoon Aug. 30 with more information on power outages and potential damage.
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OMAHA (DTN) -- Mike Strain, Louisiana's commissioner of agriculture, told DTN agriculture in his state is "working the problem," in the aftermath of Hurricane Ida, but he spent most of Monday working without communications until those came online in the mid-afternoon.
"We probably have a million people without power in southeast Louisiana right now," Strain said. "There's a lot of destruction to the transmission lines."
Farmers far outside the direct path of Hurricane Ida could face higher diesel prices as they move into harvest, as well as early shipping challenges, depending on the extent of time oil production and Gulf Coast ports are down.
The downed grid affects both power to homes and businesses, and Mississippi River traffic, because the main transmission towers that normally crosses the river ended up in the river, Strain said.
"Right now, what we're trying to do is get the power back on and get the roads opened up, get the infrastructure back in motion so we can get commerce moving again," Strain said.