Almost 800 rescued in St. John the Baptist Parish after Hurricane Ida

Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards provided another update on the damage from Hurricane Ida Monday evening.

Edwards said the state is still in a search and rescue mode as torrential rain and strong winds from the tropical depression continue to hit the state.

He said the entire southeastern section of the state is without power and over 1 million people are affected.

"There are an awful lot of unknowns right now," Edwards said. "I can't tell you when the power is going to be restored."

Edwards said the priority is to restore electricity to critical infrastructure and services, such as hospitals and dialysis centers.

Three hospitals were evacuated and a fourth is in the process of moving their patients, according to the governor.

Edwards said there was a "silver lining" from the storm in that there have been no reports of breached levees. There may have been a few levees where water overflowed, but the levees held up in critical locations, including New Orleans, according to the governor.

"They did not fail," he said.

Edwards urged homeowners who evacuated to not return to their homes until their parish leaders give the all-clear.

The Louisiana National Guard rescued 191 citizens and 27 pets so far across Jefferson, St. John the Baptist and Orleans parishes, Edwards said. They are conducting more sweeps through the affected areas.

The governor urged homeowners in affected areas to stay safe, as most hurricane fatalities take place long after the storm hits. He reminded people to use generators outside their houses, avoid driving through deep waters and not exert themselves during cleanups.

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Edwards did warn that he expects the death toll to rise, but said the numbers won't be as high if people heed warnings.

"This is a tough blow, but things are going to be OK," he said.

Ida has weakened to a tropical depression one day after making landfall as a powerful Category 4 hurricane.

Ida's now located 20 miles north-northwest of Jackson, Mississippi.

All storm surge warnings and tropical storm warnings have been discontinued.

But tornado watches remain in effect for parts of Mississippi, Alabama and Florida; five tornadoes have been reported Monday.

More than 80 million Americans from Louisiana to Rhode Island are under flash flood watches as Ida charges ahead toward the Northeast.

-ABC News' Melissa Griffin

Emergency 911 service has been restored in New Orleans, Mayor LaToya Cantrell said.

As recovery efforts get underway, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas will travel to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Tuesday morning to meet with Gov. John Bel Edwards and survey damage, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said.

FEMA administrator Deanne Criswell will go to Jackson, Mississippi, Tuesday evening to meet with Gov. Tate Reeves.

-ABC News' Allie Pecorin, Josh Hoyos

In a briefing with governors and mayors affected by Hurricane Ida, President Joe Biden vowed full government support.

"We're there to help you get back on your feet," Biden said.

Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards said he estimated nearly 2 million are without power.

Biden said, "We're in close contact with local electric providers to see what they need. They are all private providers. We don't control that, but we're doing all we can to minimize the amount of time it is going to take to get power back up."

In the meeting, Edwards touted the success of the levee system, saying none of them were breached. But, he added, "Damage is still catastrophic."

Edwards said a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter crew rescued seven patients from a hospital in Lafourche Parish after its roof was ripped off by the powerful winds.

-ABC News' Sarah Kolinovsky