GOV says IDA could be worst hurricane since 1850, Natl guard on the move.
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https://www.foxnews.com/live-news/ida-new-orleans-evacuations-strengthen-category-4-hurricaneIda prompts New Orleans evacuations; expected to strengthen to Category 4 hurricane: LIVE UPDATES
Hurricane Ida promoted evacuations in New Orleans and the surrounding coastal region Friday as it moved over Cuba threatening to slam into Louisiana as a Category 4 on Sunday.
Covered by: Brie Stimson , Julia Musto and Paul Best
Hurricane Ida was centered over the Gulf of Mexico on Saturday and moving toward the northwest near 16 mph.
The National Hurricane Center predicted the storm would strengthen into an extremely dangerous Category 4 hurricane, with top winds of 140 mph (225 kph) before making landfall along the U.S. Gulf Coast late Sunday.
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28 min(s) ago
NASA Astronaut posts pictures of Hurricane Ida from space
NASA Astronaut Megan McArthur captured images of Hurricane Ida from the International Space Station on Saturday as it gains strength in the Gulf of Mexico.
The pictures, taken around 1 p.m. ET, show the storm about 350 miles southeast of Houma, Louisiana.
Ida is currently a category 2 hurricane but is expected to go through a period of rapid strengthening and become a category 4 hurricane over the next 12 hours.
Posted by Paul Best
55 min(s) ago
Louisiana expected to get 8-16 inches of rain with isolated maximum amounts of 20 inches
Hurricane Ida, which is expected to strengthen to a category 4 hurricane over the next 12-18 hours, is projected to bring 8 to 16 inches of rain to the gulf coast when it makes landfall Sunday.
Heavy rainfall will first hit the Louisiana coast early Sunday morning, then spread northeast into the Lower Mississippi Valley on Sunday evening into Monday.
Louisiana expected to get 8-16 inches of rain with isolated maximum amounts of 20 inches
This Saturday afternoon forecast from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows that parts of Louisiana could get up to 20 inches of rain. (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)
According to the latest forecast from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, parts of metropolitan New Orleans could get as much as 20 inches of rain.
To the east, Mobile is expected to get 6 to 10 inches of rain, while to the west, Lafayette could get 4 to 6 inches.
"Elsewhere across eastern Louisiana, Mississippi, far southwestern Alabama and the Middle Tennessee Valley -- considerable flash and riverine flooding impacts are likely on Monday and Tuesday, with rainfall totals of 4 to 8 inches possible," the National Hurricane Center said in an advisory Saturday afternoon.
Posted by Paul Best
1 hour(s) ago
Louisiana National Guard preparing for Hurricane Ida
The Louisiana National Guard is working with the Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness to prepare for Hurricane Ida.
Guardsmen are staging boats, highwater vehicles, and other assets, as well as gathering across Louisiana, as well as gathering ready to eat meals, water, and supersacks of sand.
Posted by Paul Best
1 hour(s) ago
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue sending search and rescue team to Alabama ahead of Hurricane Ida
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue is deploying a 45-member search and rescue team and two canines to Alabama in preparation for a rapid response to Hurricane Ida.
The team specializes in a dozen areas, including technical search, advanced medical care, hazardous materials mitigation, and logistics support.
“We are always ready to respond to any type of incident when our resources and expertise are needed," Fire Chief Alan Cominsky said ahead of the deployment. "We continuously train to be prepared for any type of disaster.”
A 2-member team was also already deployed as part of FEMA's initial efforts to prepare for the storm.
Posted by Paul Best
1 hour(s) ago
Hurricane Ida is 325 miles from Louisiana, will reach category 4 status in 12-18 hours
Hurricane Ida was about 325 miles southeast of Houma, Louisiana at 5 p.m. ET on Saturday, moving northwest at 16 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center.
Maximum sustained winds are around 105 mph but could strengthen to as high as 140 mph by the time Ida makes landfall along the Louisiana coast on Sunday.
Life-threatening storm surge inundation is threatening the coasts of Louisiana, Mississippi, and the southwest part of Alabama.
New Orleans and other areas along Louisiana's coast could face "potentially catastrophic wind damage" when the core of the hurricane moves onshore.
Heavy rainfall is expected Sunday and Monday across southeast Louisiana, coastal Mississippi, and far southwestern Alabama. Flooding is possible in Lower Mississippi, Tennessee, and Ohio Valleys early next week as the hurricane moves inland.
Posted by Paul Best
2 hour(s) ago
Louisiana Gov says Hurricane Ida will be "one of the strongest storms to hit Louisiana since" 1850s
Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards gave an update to the public on preparations for Hurricane Ida, which is projected to make landfall as a category 4 hurricane on Sunday. (AP Photo/Melinda Deslatte, File)
Louisiana Gov. Jon Bel Edwards told the public to evacuate if they need to and spend the next 24 hours preparing before Ida makes landfall Sunday, calling the hurricane "one of the strongest storms to hit Louisiana since at least the 1850s."
"I know that tomorrow, for many people, is a very difficult anniversary. It is the 16th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. I'm also aware that it is very painful to think about another powerful storm like Hurricane Ida making landfall on that anniversary," Gov. Bel Edwards said at a press conference on Saturday afternoon.
"Every storm is different. They all bring their own challenges, but I also want you to know that we’re not the same state we were 16 years ago."
The Governor noted that "many, many people are heeding the evacuation orders, both mandatory and voluntary."
Hurricane Ida is currently a category 2 hurricane several hundred miles southeast of New Orleans, but is projected to rapidly strengthen as it gets closer to the coast.
The storm is expected to bring up to 140 mph winds, 8-16 inches of rain, storm surge up to 10-15 feet, and other dangerous conditions to the Gulf Coast.
Posted by Paul Best
2 hour(s) ago
Almost all gulf oil production "shut in" as Hurricane Ida makes its way to New Orleans
Oil and gas wells at the bottom of the ocean have been "shut in" and half of all offshore oil and gas production platforms in the Gulf of Mexico have been evacuated as Hurricane Ida makes its way toward Louisiana.
"This involves closing the sub-surface safety valves located below the surface of the ocean floor to prevent the release of oil or gas," the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement said in a statement. "Shutting in oil and gas production is a standard procedure conducted by industry for safety and environmental reasons."
Half of all offshore oil and gas production platforms, 279 of 560, were evacuated as of Saturday.
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Posted by Paul Best
3 hour(s) ago
Alabama Governor declares state of emergency ahead of Hurricane Ida
