Hurricane Ida has been rapidly intensifying, becoming a dangerous Category 4 hurricane on track for a potentially devastating landfall on the Louisiana coast. The system’s top winds grew to 150 mph as it moved through the northern Gulf.
Ida threatened a region already reeling from a resurgence of COVID-19 infections, due to low vaccination rates and the highly contagious delta variant.with their beds nearly full, as similarly stressed hospitals elsewhere had little room for evacuated patients. And shelters for those fleeing their homes carried an added risk of becoming flashpoints for new infections.
“So, we know how to do this,” Edwards said. “I hope and pray we don’t have to do it anywhere near that extent.” “We’re not checking vaccinations,” Casterlin said, “but we are doing temperature checks two or three times a day.” In Saucier, Mississippi, Alex and Angela Bennett spent Saturday afternoon filling sand bags to place around their flood-prone home. Both survived Katrina, and didn’t expect Ida to cause nearly as much destruction where they live, based on forecasts.“Katrina was terrible. This ain’t gonna be nothing,” Alex Bennett said. “I hate it for Louisiana, but I’m happy for us.”Long lines formed at gas pumps Saturday as people rushed to escape.
Edwards said 5,000 National Guard troops were being staged in 14 Louisiana parishes for search and rescue efforts. And 10,000 linemen were on standby to respond to electrical outages.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Hurricane Ida Path: What We Know About the Storm Heading Toward LouisianaIda is on a path toward the U.S. Gulf Coast, and forecasters predict it could hit Louisiana late Sunday or early Monday as a major hurricane
Read more »
Tropical Storm Ida Intensifies, Could Hit Louisiana As A Major HurricaneA hurricane watch for New Orleans and an emergency declaration for the state of Louisiana were declared.
Read more »
Tropical Storm Ida is poised to intensify into a major hurricane, hit coastal LouisianaA dangerous hurricane scenario is taking shape across the Gulf Coast for this weekend, as Tropical Storm Ida is poised to rapidly intensify and take aim at coastal Louisiana as a major hurricane of Category 3 intensity or greater. Driving the news: As of Friday morning, Ida was moving northwest near the Cayman Islands, headed toward western Cuba. It is forecast to emerge over the bathtub-like waters of the Gulf of Mexico Friday night, where it will gain strength.Stay on top of the latest market
Read more »
Ida strengthens to hurricane as it barrels toward Louisiana landfall: Latest forecastBREAKING: Ida strengthens to a Category 1 hurricane, and is forecast to strengthen into a Category 3 by the time it makes landfall in Louisiana late Sunday or early Monday.
Read more »