#16,152
For the past 48 hours Hurricane Ida has had the `look' of a storm likely to blow up into a monster over the extremely warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Overnight, it has grown from a 115 MPH storm, to a 150 MPH storm, as its central pressure drops rapidly. This from the 6am CDT NHC update:
While still a CAT 4, this storm still has some time to intensify. And the difference in impact between a high CAT 4 and a low CAT 5 is negligible. It's exact path, and when it begins to turn more northerly, will determine who sees the worst of this storm.
Key Messages this morning from the NHC:
Ida has the potential to be a historic hurricane, and New Orleans - while not directly in the path - is not out of the woods. Even a slight wobble to the east could greatly increase the threat to that city so heavily damaged 16 years ago today by Hurricane Katrina.
Power outages across much of coastal and central Louisiana are likely to be extensive, and prolonged. Some places may be without power for weeks. For some advice on preparing for prolonged power outages see Hurricane Prep: Some Simple Off-The-Shelf Solar Solutions For Power Outages.
All of this comes as COVID cases continue to surge, hospitals are already under pressure, and emergency services are stretched thin. This storm, and the disruptions it brings, could have serious impact on COVID cases.
Those who have not already evacuated will find their window of opportunity rapidly closing in the next few hours, and will have to ride out the storm where they are. This has the potential of being a life-altering event for thousands of people.
And of course, this is still August, which the heart of hurricane season still ahead. Over the next 60+ days, we are likely to see additional threats.
While it is too late to prepare if you are in the path of Ida, it isn't too late to prepare if you live elsewhere in hurricane country. And if you start now, you'll have more than the 48 hours that the residents of Louisiana had this week.
WWL-TV New Orleans is broadcasting live coverage of the storm. You can watch at:
https://www.wwltv.com/watch?vid=55f478f0-ee91-4ae0-93bc-cf71382c125d
