Hurricane Ida to grow into a category 4, slamming the Gulf Coast Sunday

Ida intensified into a hurricane Friday. Further strengthening is forecast over the weekend with Ida becoming a major hurricane on Saturday. Additional strengthening is expected on Sunday with Ida making landfall as a category 4 hurricane Sunday afternoon. Category 5 status cannot be ruled out. Regardless of category 4 or 5, the impacts will be the same for the Gulf Coast–devastating.

Tropical alerts have been issued for the Gulf Coast from the Texas/Louisiana border to the Alabama/Florida border and will inland to the I-20 corridor in Louisiana and Mississippi. A Hurricane Warning is in effect for most of southern Louisiana, including New Orleans and Baton Rouge. Watch the latest video detailing Ida’s impacts.

Ida will create a large swath of hazards not only for coastal areas but spreading far inland this weekend and next week. Storm surge, heavy rain causing flooding, and strong winds leading to power outages are possible. Here is the latest video forecast detailing the impacts.