IDA 11 PM EDT UPDATE: Hurricane forecast to strengthen rapidly before landfall
Hurricane Ida is set to begin gathering its strength quickly as it moves through the Gulf of Mexico this weekend, according to the National Hurricane Center.
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Hurricane Ida, a category 2 storm, continues to strengthen as it makes its way over the Gulf of Mexico, according to the National Hurricane Center.
As of the 11 p.m. EDT (10 p.m. CDT) update, the system was moving northwest at 16 miles per hour with max sustained winds of 105 miles per hour. However, it is expected to strengthen into a category four hurricane before landfall — making it "an extremely dangerous major hurricane," the NHC said.
The NHC is now warning that preparations to protect life and property must be completed Saturday in areas under the hurricane warning. Ida is expected to make landfall Sunday before moving to the more inland regions of Louisiana or Mississippi Monday.
The NHC said Ida is likely to bring heavy rainfall that could cause life-threatening flash and urban flooding.
As it moves inland, significant flooding is likely across the lower Mississippi and Tennessee valleys Monday and Tuesday.
A Storm Surge Warning is in effect for:
- East of Rockefeller Wildlife Refuge Louisiana to the Alabama/Florida border
- Vermilion Bay, Lake Borgne, Lake Pontchartrain, Lake Maurepas, and Mobile Bay
A Hurricane Warning is in effect for:
- Intracoastal City Louisiana to the Mouth of the Pearl River
- Lake Pontchartrain, Lake Maurepas, and Metropolitan New Orleans
A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for:
- Cameron Louisiana to west of Intracoastal City Louisiana
- Mouth of the Pearl River to the Alabama/Florida border
As of 11 p.m., Tropical Depression Eleven has formed over the subtropical Central Atlantic. According to the National Hurricane Center, it is expected to become a short-lived tropical storm.