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Hurricane Ida forces Mississippi river to 'flow backwards' in epic fury of nature

After submerging overhead bridges, Hurricane Ida changed the course of the Mississippi river as it flowed north

Hurricane Ida roaring into the US coast has been documented in countless videos. But among them, the ones that have caught the most attention document the bizarre manner in which the tropical storm reversed the course of the river Mississippi. New Orleans already reportedly suffered a city-wide blackout after a main transmission line tower collapsed into the Mississippi, but nothing had prepared locals for the shocking course change of the river itself. Videos from local residents at Algiers Point, New Orleans, documented the river turning tides at its deepest spot.

These videos were posted after severe floods were documented by locals of Grand Isle where evacuation warnings were rampant. However, some 28 odd people chose to stay behind. The surrounding area showed scenes of destruction — staircases to overhead bridges and fences around houses were almost fully submerged. With Ida's category 4 classification, the hurricane was expected to cause even more havoc than the infamous Hurricane Katrina which intensified into a category 5 hurricane, but was causing landslides when it was just a category 3 storm. Locals are now sharing on Twitter about how the rains have finally calmed after battering the city of New Orleans, but the Mississippi's changed course seems to have shocked many.

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The videos of the Misssissippi flowing in the reverse direction also accompanied numerous whitecaps on the surface of the water. In a video captured in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, the Mississippi can be seen flowing northwards. In another video of the Mississippi, once again sprinkled with ominous whitecaps all over, the river could be seen flowing in the opposite direction, submerging almost the entire length of support underneath nearby docks. 

Other videos captured Ida in all its turbulence, with rain blasting down on the surface of the Mississippi as the river rages northwards, changing its course. Severe gusts of winds make it near impossible to see anything and the picture quality is not the best, but the dense blur is presumably due to the heavy rainfall that resembles a foreboding fog. One video also captured what resembles a ship that got loose on the river - swaying as it rides the thrashing, churning waves in the waters lashed by the hurricane. 

Another video captures the Mississippi flowing backwards at its deepest trench, which the Algiers Point local reveals is a depth no less than 20 feet. "Goodmorning omg the Mississippi river is flowing BACKWARDS. My son lives in Algiers Point, where it is at its deepest -- 20 feet!! And. it. is. flowing. backwards," the user wrote accompanying the video of the river. 

Twitter users also updated others on the dangerous situation, with one writing: "The Mississippi River was flowing in reverse in southeastern Louisiana as Hurricane Ida forces vast volumes of sea water ashore. 22 ferry barges were knocked from their moorings near Chalmette on the West Bank at mile marker 87.5." Another person with devastating history with the river, alarmed others: "Mississippi River Flowing in Reverse my cousin was found in this river in the 80’s. boat and was pushed off. It took 7 days without a hurricane . Be careful that will suck you down for miles!"