Hurricane Ida: Officers rescue 77-year-old man and his beloved American flag

ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST PARISH, La. — Deputies helped rescue a 77-year-old man who was without power, water and food. They also saved one of his most beloved possessions, an American flag that belonged to his father, a World War II veteran.

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The St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff’s Office said deputies were called a few hours after the storm by a man in New Jersey asking if they could check on his father, John Moore, WDSU reported.

Deputies had to evade debris on the road but were able to find Moore at his home in LaPlace with his dog, Nixon.

The home was badly damaged by Hurricane Ida. Moore was without water, food, power and fuel for his generator.

Before deputies took Moore to a hospital for treatment, he asked if they could find the flag, which was on the floor in his bedroom. A deputy was able to find it. He took the flag with him when he went to the hospital. Nixon was taken to an emergency operation center for treatment. They both were reunited after Moore was reunited with his dog after he was discharged from the hospital.

After being released from the hospital, one of Moore’s neighbors drove him to an airport in Baton Rouge so he could fly to New Jersey to live with his son.

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Hurricane Ida slammed into Louisiana with 150 mph winds that knocked out power to nearly 1 million people, and killed at least six people, NBC News reported. The remnants of the powerful storm swept across the country, killing at least 44 people in the Northeast, The Washington Post reported.

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