One of many businesses devastated by the hurricane was the city’s historic Karofsky Shop. According to Governor John Bel Edwards, the focus now is on rescue and recovery efforts. Repairing the damages will take time, he said.

Seventy-year-old Theophilus Charles sits in his badly damaged home in Houma, Louisiana. US President Joe Biden has promised Washington’s full and long-term support for those affected by the hurricane.

Many homes, like here in Lafitte, experienced extensive flooding after the Category 4 hurricane made landfall. The massive floodwaters also brought destruction further inland, leaving at least two people dead.

Many residents left stranded were rescued by helicopter, as seen here in Laplace, Louisiana. In the southwestern corner of Mississippi, entire neighborhoods were cut off from the outside world — with many roads impassable.

Locals have been stocking up on gas and diesel fuel at area gas stations. The evacuations of the past few days have made it almost impossible to obtain fuel, which is needed to run generators and produce electricity. Hundreds of thousands of households are still without electricity in Louisiana, including New Orleans, with a population of 400,000.

Many in Louisiana have lost everything. Fran Tribe sits with her dog Dave in front of what used to be her house in Houma before Hurricane Ida hit. It will probably take months to rebuild everything.

Jerilyn Collins returned to her devastated home in LaPlace with the help of the Louisiana National Guard to retrieve important medications and personal items for herself and her father. Only a few areas were evacuated before Ida made landfall.

Many regions in Russia have been burning for weeks, with the area around Yakutia in the far northeast having been hit particularly hard. The authorities have counted more than 250 fires currently burning across Russia, covering a total area of more than 3.5 million hectares (8.6 million acres).

But it's not just the fires that are causing problems for locals. Dense smoke has been drifting across populated areas, for example the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk. This is especially hard for the elderly and children, as it's nearly impossible to breathe outside.

Evacuees on a ferry at the port of Pefki, Euboea — they are embarking on a journey into the unknown, as their homes and belongings will probably be destroyed by the time they return. For the first time since the forest fires started on the Greek island of Euboea at the beginning of last week, massive air missions are now being flown to fight the fires. Eyewitnesses report apocalyptic scenes.

But not everyone is fleeing — many local residents want to support the firefighters. At times, that can include desperate acts — such as with this man, who’s trying to beat out flames with a tree branch. Such autonomous actions are causing a major problem for the authorities, as through them, many people are placing themselves in grave danger.

Besides Greece and Italy, Turkey is also struggling with devastating fires. Walls of fire are spreading from the forests to residential areas. On this photo, Turkish firefighters are trying to stop a blaze near Cokertme that threatens to spread into buildings. More than 150,000 hectares — including entire villages — have already fallen victim to the flames in Turkey.

More than 5,700 fires are currently raging in the West Coast state of California — and the typical wildfire season there has not even started yet. The Dixie Fire is now the second-largest in the state's history, and completely destroyed the town of Greenville. In this photo, a fire crew member keeps an eye out for spot fires to slow the wildfire near the town of Westwood.

In California, whirlwinds of ash and embers, such as this one that meandered through the Santa Barbara hills, are complicating matters. West Coast fires have even been creating their own weather. With the situation more devastating than in previous years, governors of affected states have turned to Washington for help — they are urgently seeking more emergency staff and firefighting aircraft.

Local authorities have made urgent calls for emergency aid to be sent to areas affected by Typhoon Rai. The governor of Bohol province pleaded on the radio for the government to send provisions amid growing hunger and fears of looting.

Typhoon Rai was packing winds of 195 kilometers (121 miles) per hour. Trucks were flung on their sides, trees were uprooted and power lines were damaged. Efforts are underway to restore power and cell reception.

Many of the typhoon's victims were killed when structures collapsed and when trees fell. Many were also caught up in flash floods. With many more people still missing, the death toll is likely to continue rising.

Typhoon Rai damaged critical infrastructure in many areas. Residents have been battling to get money from banks, and long lines for food and fuel have been reported. The government has not made any appeal for international assistance.

Residents in affected areas have been lining up for fresh water and other essentials. There are concerns that if basic needs are not met, people will begin resorting to looting.