State Watch

Louisiana reports 4 dead and 141 hospitalized from carbon monoxide poisonings

Louisiana said four people died and 141 have been hospitalized from carbon monoxide poisonings following power outages caused by Hurricane Ida.

The Louisiana Department of Health announced the deaths and hospitalization on Monday, while providing guidance for those who continue to use generators.

Generators should be 20 feet away from a house and a carbon monoxide detector should be set up, according to the Office of the State Fire Marshal in the guidance shared by the health department.

Common symptoms for carbon monoxide poisoning include headache, dizziness, weakness, upset stomach, vomiting, chest pain and confusion. Those who are drinking or sleeping can die from carbon monoxide before the symptoms appear, the health agency added.

Power is slowly being restored throughout Louisiana and Mississippi after more than 1 million people were left without electricity from the Category 4 hurricane.

There are still over 400,000 people without power more than a week after the hurricane hit, according to poweroutage.us.

It is unclear when all Louisiana households will have power restored; one energy company said it could take weeks.