Hurricane Ida strengthens to Category 4 storm with 150 mph winds before landfall
Good morning, Hurricane Ida grew in strength overnight and as it approached landfall Sunday had maximum sustained winds of 150 mph. Here's a look at the latest Ida news this morning, we'll be back later today with more updates.
Catastrophic wind damage and life-threatening storm surge were among the key concerns cited in this morning's forecast after experts got a look at how Hurricane Ida grew overnight.
The storm was about 100 miles southeast of Houma at 7 a.m. Sunday, moving to the northwest at about 15 mph.
Meteorologists said storm-surge inundation of 9 feet or greater "is imminent somewhere within the area from Burns Point to Ocean Springs, Miss."
As Hurricane Ida grew overnight, so did the threat from wind damage.
The southeast coast of Louisiana is under threat of catastrophic damage as the storm makes landfall in the next few hours, but hurricane-force winds are also expected along the entire coast, including New Orleans.
Here are some more details on the expected storm surge and rainfall totals.
Storm surge: Forecasts indicated storm surge could reach these heights if the peak surge occurs near high tide;
- Port Fourchon, LA to Mouth of the Mississippi River...12-16 ft
- Morgan City, LA to Port Fourchon, LA...8-12 ft
- Mouth of the Mississippi River to Bay St. Louis, MS including Lake Borgne...8-12 ft
- Burns Point, LA to Morgan City, LA...6-9 ft
- Bay St. Louis, MS to Ocean Springs, MS...6-9 ft
- Lake Pontchartrain...5-8 ft
- Ocean Springs, MS to MS/AL border...4-7 ft
- Intracoastal City, LA to Burns Point, LA including Vermilion Bay...4-6 ft
- Lake Maurepas...4-6 ft
- Pecan Island, LA to Intracoastal City, LA...2-4 ft
- MS/AL border to AL/FL border including Mobile Bay...3-5 ft
- Sabine Pass to Pecan Island, LA...1-3 ft
- AL/FL border to Okaloosa/Walton County Line including Pensacola Bay...1-3 ft
Estimated rainfall totals: Heavy rainfall from Ida will begin to impact the southeast Louisiana coast this morning, spreading northeast into the Lower Mississippi Valley later today into Monday.
- Southeast Louisiana into far southern Mississippi: 10 to 18 inches
- Coastal Alabama to far western Florida panhandle: 5 to 10 inches
- Central Mississippi: 4 to 8 inches
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