Tracking the tropics: Hurricane Ida makes landfall
2:00 PM: Hurricane Ida maintains Category 4 status with sustained winds of 150 mph. Torrential rain is impacting southeast Louisiana and Mississippi and life-threatening storm surge is ongoing. Ida is forecasted to impact the area through the start of the week.
Hurricane Ida made landfall as a Category 4 major hurricane at 11:55 AM CDT near Port Fourchon, LA. Maximum sustained winds reached up to 150 mph as the eye of the storm hit the coast. It strikes on the 16th anniversary of the landfall of historic Hurricane Katrina on August 29, 2005.
Ida will bring life-threatening storm surge of 9+ feet on Sunday afternoon to the Louisiana coast, and is forecasted to drop nearly 15 inches of rain on New Orleans. It has spawned several tornadoes along the Mississippi and Louisiana coasts this morning. Hurricane Ida will continue to bring rain to the area through Monday as its track shifts to the northeast. Innumerable power outages are anticipated, which could leave some residents without access to emergency services for days.
Throughout the week, the remnants of Ida will slide by Missouri to the southeast, and a stationary front will stop it from bringing showers to our area. A couple clouds may get blown our way, and cooler temperatures are expected for Mid-Missouri midweek with highs in the mid-80s.
Hurricane Ida is one of the strongest systems to impact Louisiana since the mid-1800s. It is currently projected to hold onto Category 1 strength as the core enters Mississippi early Monday. By the time the core of Ida is moving into Tennessee, it will have fallen apart into a low pressure system.
