New Orleans officials tell residents who fled ahead of Hurricane Ida not to come back until further notice

• The city of New Orleans told residents who fled ahead of Hurricane Ida to stay out until further notice.
• The storm touched down in Louisiana late Sunday morning as a Category 4 hurricane.
• Downed power lines and trees made navigating the city treacherous, NOLA.com reported.

Officials in the city of New Orleans pushed an emergency text message notification to city residents on Monday morning, telling those who fled ahead of Hurricane Ida to stay out of the city until further notice.

The message was sent just ahead of a planned press briefing with New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell, NOLA.com reported. It will be the city's first official update since the storm ravaged the city.

Cantrell doubled down on those calls at her press conference that began at 12 p.m. local time. She said the city will notify residents who fled when it is safe for them to return to their homes. The main issue preventing their safe return to the region was a lack of power to the entire city.

Deanna Rodriguez, the president and CEO of Entergy New Orleans, said at the conference she was unable to provide an estimate as to when power would be restored. More than 880,000 Entergy customers were without power in the state, she said.

"Residents that are here now in the city of New Orleans and visitors: we need you to be careful," Cantrell said Monday. "We need you to stay in your homes. Stay in your neighborhoods."

Cantrell said about 200,000 residents remained in the city during the hurricane.

Access to 911 service remained distrupted, officials at the press conference said. Fallen trees and powerlines made navigating the city difficult, they added.

There were no reports of mass destruction or massive loss of life as a result of the Sunday hurricane, Cantrell said. There was one "tragedy," she added, where officials believed a person who was driving during the storm drowned, though she said officials wouldn't be able to confirm that until the city coroner released a report.

"The systems we depended on to save lives and protect our city did just that, and we are grateful," she added.

Ida made landfall as a Category 4 storm in Louisiana in the late morning hours Sunday, tearing through New Orleans and the surrounding areas. Officials previously said it could be as many as three weeks before electricity was restored to all areas impacted, especially in the parishes that surround New Orlanes.

AT&T cell service has also been also disrupted, the company said Monday.

Cantrell said officials with AT&T were communicating with city officials to restore cell service to the region.

"There is so much more work to be done," Cantrell said. "That is why this is not the time for entry into the city of New Orleans, especially as we determine how the city may need to respond to the needs of our surrounding parishes as well. We will be a neighbor and we will be a good neighbor despite the challenges we have."