Hurricane Ida developed right into a Class 2 storm Saturday, persevering with to construct steam because it approaches the Gulf Coast.
Forecasters anticipate the storm to hit the coasts of Mississippi and Louisiana on Sunday, with the Nationwide Hurricane Middle warning Saturday morning that the forecasts name for “fast strengthening, bringing Ida to Class 4 standing inside 12 to 18 hours.”
Most sustained winds have been measured at 100 mph with gusts measuring even larger, the Nationwide Climate Service stated.
ATLANTIC BREWS WITH ACTIVITY AS PEAK HURRICANE SEASON ARRIVES AND HENRI SOCKS NORTHEAST
NWS warned of the specter of life-threatening storm surges on Sunday alongside the Louisiana and Mississippi coasts, saying the inundation may attain 9 ft or extra above floor degree roughly between Morgan Metropolis, Louisiana, and the coast of Mississippi.
Heavy rainfall starting Sunday and persevering with by Monday from southeast Louisiana to coastal Mississippi are additionally anticipated, as are resultant flash and concrete flooding and river flooding, the Hurricane Middle stated.
Satellite tv for pc imagery signifies that max sustained winds have elevated to 100mph with larger gusts. Extra fast strengthening is forecast throughout the subsequent 24hr and #Ida is anticipated to be an especially harmful main hurricane when it approaches the northern Gulf coast Sunday. pic.twitter.com/WCFUkI4vVJ
— Nationwide Climate Service (@NWS) August 28, 2021
The storm strengthened right into a hurricane and hit Cuba on Friday with most sustained winds of 75 mph.
Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards declared a state of emergency Thursday in anticipation of the storm’s arrival. Edwards additional requested a federal declaration of emergency on Friday, which President Joe Biden granted.
“The time for the folks of Louisiana to organize for this sturdy storm is now, as parts of our state will start seeing impacts of this storm early Sunday morning, and even late Saturday night,” Edwards stated in an announcement Friday. “The subsequent 24 hours are extremely crucial for the state, and a statewide federal emergency declaration will go a good distance in serving to us reply to Ida.”
The Biden administration has deployed 500 Federal Emergency Administration Company response personnel to Texas and Louisiana along with the two,000 FEMA personnel supporting the administration’s COVID-19 response within the area, Biden stated earlier than a digital briefing on Ida Saturday.
A Sunday landfall would mark 16 years to the day that Hurricane Katrina hit Louisiana, leading to over 1,800 deaths.
