Thread: Hurricane Ida strengthens into Category 4 storm ahead of expected Louisiana hit

Hurricane Ida strengthened into an "extremely dangerous" Category 4 storm and was "still intensifying," packing maximum sustained winds of 150 mph with higher gusts as it neared Louisiana on Sunday morning, the National Hurricane Center said.


Why it matters: Ida is expected to hit southeastern La. as a Category 4 storm later Sunday. "Life-threatening storm surge, potentially catastrophic wind damage, and flooding" from its heavy rains "will impact" parts of the northern Gulf Coast, starting Sunday morning, the NHC said.

It's set to bring an "unsurvivable" surge to some coastal, low-lying parishes, the National Weather Service said. The storm could leave conditions "unlivable along the coast for some time and areas around New Orleans and Baton Rouge could be without power for weeks," the NWS added.


Ida has the potential to cause catastrophic damage from high winds, nearly two feet of rain and up to 15 feet of storm surge inundation. New Orleans is likely to see significant impacts — including hurricane-force winds and a storm surge that could test the city's post-Hurricane Katrina flood protection system.

The latest: Ida was 75 miles south-southeast of Grand Isle, La., and 60 miles south-southwest of the Mississippi River's mouth at 7a.m. ET Sunday, exactly 16 years on from Hurricane Katrina devastating Louisiana and Mississippi.


Tornado watches were issued for parts of Alabama, Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi until Sunday evening.
Threat level: In many ways, Ida is a worst-case scenario: A storm traversing extremely warm water in an area conducive to strengthening, headed for a state that is extremely vulnerable to storm surge flooding.


Louisiana has been hit by a COVID-19 surge, with hospitals lacking extra capacity should serious injuries occur. The state chose not to evacuate patients inland from coastal hospitals, per AP.


What to watch: Hurricane and storm surge warnings were in effect for the length of the Louisiana coast, with the highest surge levels — which refers to the storm-driven amount of water vaulted above normally dry land — of 10 to 15 feet occurring between Morgan City to the Mouth of the Mississippi River.


Lower amounts, of seven to 11 feet, were predicted for New Orleans, with a six - to eight-foot surge in Lake Ponchartrain.
This would be within the design limits of the city's system of levees, flood gates and pumps built in the wake of Hurricane Katrina for about $14 billion.


"Widespread deep inundation" was predicted to occur outside the risk reduction system.


This system could be tested if a surge of 15 feet or higher materializes, and the surge depends on the precise wind direction, tide level and storm motion at the time of landfall.

Context: Near and just to the east of where the hurricane makes landfall, wind damage will be "potentially catastrophic," the NWS warned.


Between the lines: Per the latest United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (UN IPCC) report, stronger hurricanes are becoming more common as the climate warms due to human emissions of greenhouse gases, and such storms are also producing more rainfall as air and sea temperatures warm.


Scientists have also shown that rapid intensification may be linked to climate change, with more storms exhibiting such leaps in storm categories.


Sea level rise is making such storms more damaging as well. The combination of sea level rise and land subsidence in coastal Louisiana makes such a trend particularly problematic.


Background: After hitting Cuba Friday night, the hurricane paused its intensification for a time, but resumed its alarming trends Saturday morning.

Hurricane Ida strengthens ahead of Louisiana hit - Axios

Let the science denying anti-vax/climate change scum take what they deserve.

^And, everyone else too!

Go to bed.

just for you bsnub, live webcams so you can watch the filthy scum as they drown.

Originally Posted by misskit

Go to bed.

I am, since the F1 is fucked, and I have been out of beer for the last three hours.

Ida came across the platform (West Delta 89) that stood in shallow water just west of the Mississippi delta where I used to work on a stand-by boat in 1979. Ida then passed by Grand Isle where we mobilized and had its second landfall just over Chauvin where office where I left my motorcycle when offshore. The only hurricane during that trip was Hurricane Bob which was weak milk but nevertheless exciting as we headed for shore.

Hurricane Ida: Flights canceled, 1M without power, New Orleans 911 system disrupted

Aug. 30 (UPI) -- More than 1 million customers in Louisiana -- many of them in New Orleans -- were without power early Monday after Hurricane Ida made landfall as one of the strongest storms in recent years and disrupted hundreds of flights across the region.


Ida arrived over land on Sunday morning and carved a path northward, bringing winds gusts close to 200 mph. The Category 4 hurricane cut power to all of New Orleans and the city issued a flash flood emergency.


The storm also caused flooding and coastal impacts in neighboring Mississippi.


As it traveled over land, Ida was downgraded to a tropical storm early on Monday with sustained winds of 60 mph. At its peak, the storm delivered a gust of 172 mph, the National Weather Service said.

More than 1 million customers across the region are still without electricity due to the storm, which arrived 16 years after deadly Hurricane Katrina devastated the area. Another 110,000 customers are without electricity in neighboring Mississippi, according to Poweroutage.us.


Tropical storm warnings replaced hurricane warnings along flood-prone from Grand Isle to the mouth of the Pearl River, including Lake Pontchartrain, Lake Maurepas and the New Orleans metropolitan area.


Despite its weakening, the National Weather Service said Monday that residents should remain inside due to the threat of flash flooding. The storm caused trees and power poles to break, which snapped powerlines throughout southeastern Louisiana.

"Multiple flooded streets in New Orleans," the NWS tweeted. "Please stay sheltered in place unless you absolutely have to travel. Make sure to allow extra time."


The NWS added that wind damage will continue to be a threat near the core of the storm Monday.


Officials said there has been at least one death attributed to the storm -- that of a 60-year-old man who was struck by a falling tree in Louisiana.

The Emergency Communications Center for the City of New Orleans tweeted early Monday that its 911 system was "experiencing technical difficulties." Officials urged those in the area experiencing an emergency to "go to your nearest fire station or approach your nearest officer."


Sunday evening while reporting on location in New Orleans, AccuWeather's Bill Wadell reported that Hurricane Ida had, "sent debris flying all over downtown New Orleans" with "trees toppled over [and] windows shattered."


All flights from several major airlines flying out of Jackson-Medgar Wiley Evers International Airport in Mississippi have been canceled for Monday, the airport said in a tweet. All Southwest, American and United outbound flights have been canceled due to anticipated impacts from Ida.


St. Bernard Parish President Guy McInnis said Monday that Hurricane Ida was the worst storm he'd ever seen. The parish is part of the New Orleans metropolitan area.


"It was relentless from 7 a.m. until maybe an hour ago, and every now and then we're still getting some gusts," McInnis told WWL-TV early Monday. "This was something that I've never seen before."


At WGNO-TV, producers and directors fled from their control room in suburban Metairie, La., during a live broadcast of the hurricane Sunday when the storm damaged its roof.


"The ceiling has peeled away," reporter Susan Roesgen tweeted.

Hurricane Ida: Flights canceled, 1M without power, New Orleans 911 system disrupted - UPI.com

I hate storms

So much

One feels so helpless

Ida'''s aftermath: No power, no flights, scant drinking water



Hurricane Ida: Man attacked by alligator in flooded Louisiana waters



Scope Hurricane Ida destruction becomes clearer in wake of storm | AccuWeather

Ida made it all the way to NYC!

At least eight people killed overnight in NYC in historic flooding

At least eight people were killed overnight across New York City, including a 2-year-old boy and his parents who drowned in a basement apartment in Queens, as the tail-end of Hurricane Ida ravaged the five boroughs.


A state of emergency was in effect in the city early Thursday after the historic downpour knocked out power and flooded streets, homes and subways — prompting the first-ever flash flood warning for the Big Apple.


The National Weather Service also issued a tornado warning for parts of the Bronx late Wednesday.

MORE At least eight people killed overnight in NYC in historic flooding