Expected to become a major hurricane before landfall.
UPDATE 3:00 PM EDT
Mandatory evacuations are being ordered in Louisiana. All citizens urged to begin personal preparations – mandatory evacuation in effect at 3 p.m. for East Bank and West Bank from Phillips 66 Alliance Refinery to Venice, the Plaquemines Parish government said.
UPDATE 12:00 PM
The National Hurricane Center said Tropical Storm Ida continues to strengthen in the Gulf of Mexico and could well become a category 3 – a major hurricane – before its expected landfall just west of New Orleans.
This could be the worst-case scenario for the area, but there is still some time to fine-tune the forecast.
At this point, most reliable forecast models have the system moving into the coast of Louisiana, but how bad the storm will be for New Orleans is dependent upon where the center comes ashore.
The central and upper Gulf Coast from northern Texas to the Florida Panhandle should monitor updates over the next few days. Sea surges, wind, and flooding could arrive between Sunday and Monday.
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For officials as they monitor the storm and issue any evacuation orders necessary.
- For emergency personnel as they prepare for landfall.
- For people in the pathway of Ida to have their preparations in order.
- That the storm would weaken rather than strengthen as it moves toward the Gulf Coast.
Sources: CBS News, National Hurricane Center
