UPI Pictures of the Year 2021 - NEWS & FEATURES

Captured by NASA's Suomi NPP satellite on August 9, 2021, the top photo shows New Orleans bathed in nighttime lights. On August 31, 2021, the bottom photo shows New Orleans sparsely illuminated. "At this aftermath stage, Black Marble imagery is capturing a lot of diesel-power/backup generation." Three days after Hurricane Ida brought fierce wind, rain, and storm surges to Louisiana, large swaths of the state are enduring electric power blackouts due to downed lines and damaged transmission towers. According to PowerOuttage.US, more than 985,000 customers were reported without power in Louisiana. NASA/UPI