The path of Hurricane Gustav offered New Orleans a reprieve, but utilities say the devastation 80 miles away in Baton Rouge was the worst they've ever seen.
The storm offered nothing but punishment for the state capital, which is dealing with widespread power outages that have affected everything from human comforts to the ability to buy gas.
The region's top power company, Entergy, said the Baton Rouge area has never suffered damage as severe as that caused by Gustav.
The last storm that caused damage close to Gustav was in 1992 when Hurricane Andrew hit south Florida, crossed the Gulf of Mexico and then slammed Louisiana.
Entergy and Baton Rouge-based Dixie Electric have said it may be weeks before all power is restored -- a time frame Gov. Bobby Jindal said is unacceptable. Jindal said the lack of electrical power is the biggest obstacle to hurricane recovery.
The Louisiana Public Service Commission estimates half the power will be restored in nine days, but it will take up to four weeks before all power is back.
The U.S. Department of Energy said today that 1 million customers are without power, including 925,963 in Louisiana.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
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