In the early morning hours Sunday, Hurricane Ida exploded into an "extremely dangerous" Category 4 storm just hours before making landfall along the northern Gulf Coast with the National Hurricane Center warning those in its path to "take all necessary actions to protect life and property from rising water and the potential for other dangerous conditions."
The latest key messages from the National Hurricane Center warn of "extremely life-threatening" storm surge "inundation of 9 feet or greater above ground" along the Louisiana and Mississippi coast. "Overtopping of local levees" is also possible along with hurricane-force winds in the New Orleans metropolitan area "with potentially catastrophic wind damage possible where the core of Ida moves onshore."
700 AM CDT Key Messages for #Ida: Extremely life-threatening storm surge and catastrophic wind damage are imminent where the core of #Ida moves onshore in the next few hours https://t.co/tW4KeFW0gB pic.twitter.com/lILc6eoRxB
— National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) August 29, 2021
A Hurricane Hunter flight recorded maximum sustained winds of 150 miles per hour as the storm continues gaining strength — a trend that could see Ida become a Category 5 hurricane if sustained winds reach 157 miles per hour or higher — just before it hits the Louisiana coast on the 16th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina's landfall.
A horrific scene unfolding on satellite this morning with lightning crackling around the eye of #Hurricane #Ida.
— Matthew Cappucci (@MatthewCappucci) August 29, 2021
It is churning towards Grand Isle, Louisiana.
We now have evidence to suggest winds approaching/potentially meeting Category 5 strength. pic.twitter.com/BQvlTcdcjd
#Hurricane #Ida's pressure is down to 935 hPa. Only two #hurricanes on record have made landfall in Louisiana with a pressure this low: Katrina (2005, 920 hPa) and Last Island (1856, 934 hPa). Lower pressure equates to a stronger hurricane. pic.twitter.com/raRGc6ZW0u
— Philip Klotzbach (@philklotzbach) August 29, 2021
The outer bands of Hurricane Ida are already bringing heavy rain to the Louisiana coast ahead of the dangerous storm surge, setting up a test for the levees that were rebuilt and fortified after they failed disastrously during Hurricane Katrina.
??Heavy rain from Ida has begun to impact the southeast LA coast this morning, with precipitation expanding across southeast LA and coastal/southern MS today into tonight (storm total: 10-18", iso. 24") resulting in life-threatening flash flooding and significant river flooding. pic.twitter.com/M9zmpIntNZ
— NWS Weather Prediction Center (@NWSWPC) August 29, 2021
The levee system is going to get its biggest test today since they were fortified after #Katrina. Prayers are needed for Louisiana. This is a beast. pic.twitter.com/TXZYKFG0W1
— Janice Dean (@JaniceDean) August 29, 2021
Expected to make landfall in the "next few hours," Hurricane Ida will continue inland with damaging winds across southeastern Louisiana and southwestern Mississippi Sunday evening and into Monday which will "likely lead to widespread tree damage and power outages. The accompanying heavy rainfall is forecast to bring "considerable to life-threatening flash and urban flooding" along the northern Gulf Coast before Ida makes a northeastward turn Monday night.
As Ida moves inland, "significant flooding impacts" are possible in the Lower Mississippi, Tennessee, and Ohio River valleys through Wednesday.