Hurricane Ida struck the coast of Louisiana Sunday as a powerful Category 4 storm, 16 years to the day after deadly Hurricane Katrina devastated the southern US city of New Orleans.
August 29,2021 Hurricane Ida struck the coast of Louisiana Sunday as a powerful Category 4 storm,16 years to the day after deadly Hurricane Katrina devastated the southern US city of New Orleans. “Extremely dangerous Category 4 Hurricane Ida makes landfall near Port Fourchon, Louisiana,” the National Hurricane Center wrote in an advisory. Ida struck the port, located approximately 100 miles (160 kilometers) directly south of New Orleans, at 1655 GMT, packing maximum sustained winds estimated at 150 miles per hour. Ahead of Ida’s arrival, showers and strong wind swept New Orleans’ deserted streets throughout the morning, buffeting boarded-up windows at businesses and homes surrounded by sandbags. State Governor John Bel Edwards said Ida, which had gathered force on its approach through the warm waters of the Gulf, could be the most powerful storm to hit the state since 1850. “Hurricane #Ida has made landfall in Louisiana. Find the safest place in your house and stay there until the storm passes,” he wrote on Twitter. Storm surges had earlier flooded the town of Grand Isle, on a barrier island south of New Orleans, CNN reported. The National Hurricane Center also reported high water levels and flooding affecting the communities of Shell Beach, Louisiana and Yach Club, Mississippi. Extensive and long-lasting power outages are expected, with more than 150,000 homes already without electricity by midday, according to the website poweroutage.
