Hurricane Ida slammed into the coast of Louisiana on Sunday, Aug. 29, causing mass destruction and power outages. The first death related to the storm was reported on Sunday night, according to the Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office.
The VERIFY team is monitoring social media for false claims or footage connected to the storm. If you see an image you want verified, email questions@verifythis.com.
Editor’s note: This is a developing story.
THE QUESTION
Does this photo show gridlock traffic during the evacuation process ahead of Hurricane Ida?
THE SOURCES
THE ANSWER
No, this photo was not taken in Louisiana. It was taken on I-405 in Los Angeles in 2017.
WHAT WE FOUND
This photo was actually taken in 2017 and shows gridlocked traffic over the Thanksgiving holiday in Los Angeles.
VERIFY used RevEye, a reverse image search tool, and traced the photo to the Los Angeles Times, which credited TV station KTLA with having taken it in 2017.
VERIFY used Google Maps to confirm the photo was taken from I-405 and Santa Monica Boulevard. The Penske Media Corporation building can be seen in the image and on the map.
From Nov. 20, 2017 through Nov. 30, 2017, Caltrans District 7, with the California Department of Transportation tweeted about severe traffic along I-405 (see here and here, as examples). Thanksgiving Day was on Nov. 23, 2017.
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