8:00 a.m. Sunday update: extreme wind warning issued for southeast Louisiana
The New Orleans National Weather Service issued an extreme wind warning for Houma, Bayou Cane and Estelle until 10:45 a.m.
“Treat these impending extreme winds as if a tornado is approaching and immediately move to an indoor room or shelter NOW,” the NWS said in a statement. Tweeter.
7 a.m. Sunday update: Hurricane Ida about 100 miles from Houma
Hurricane Ida is about 50 miles from the mouth of the Mississippi River and 100 miles from Houma, the National Hurricane Center said in a 7 a.m. advisory.
The notice did not contain any major changes. Maximum sustained winds are 150 miles per hour, just below 157 miles per hour for a Category 5 storm. Hurricane Ida is moving northwest at 15 miles per hour and should make landfall in the late morning or early afternoon.
6:30 a.m. Sunday update: Tornado watch show, Ida gets closer to Category 5 strength
A tornado watch has been issued for parts of Louisiana, including New Orleans, Hammond and Bogalusa, as well as parts of Florida, Mississippi and Alabama, according to the New Orleans National Weather Service . The watch works until 7 p.m.
The Weather Channel said Grand Isle was already experiencing gusts of up to 100 miles per hour. A meteorologist called the intensification of the hurricane “very worrying”.
Sustained winds can reach 150 miles per hour, according to the National Hurricane Center. A Category 5 hurricane sustained winds of 157 miles per hour.
6 a.m. Sunday update: Ida winds up to 150 mph
The National Hurricane Center said in its 6 a.m. update that the maximum sustained winds from Hurricane Ida were up to 150 miles per hour with stronger gusts.
The storm is about 75 miles from Grand Isle and about 60 miles from the mouth of the Mississippi River.
5 a.m. Sunday update: Hurricane Ida strengthens overnight
Hurricane Ida showed signs that it had strengthened rapidly in the Gulf of Mexico overnight and that the storm could continue to strengthen before making landfall on Sunday afternoon, according to the National Weather Service.
A slight shift in Hurricane Ida’s track to the east on Saturday worried forecasters about storm surges and precipitation in areas that cannot withstand the heavy rains, particularly the bays of Barataria and Terrebonne.
Life-threatening winds could start along the Louisiana coast as early as Saturday night “then spread inland to metro areas of New Orleans, Houma and Baton Rouge on Sunday,” NWS forecasts .
If the track of Hurricane Ida brought heavy rains to New Orleans, forecasters feared it could lead to extremely dangerous flash floods in the metro area.
Hurricane Ida triggers harm reduction system in New Orleans
Governor John Bel Edwards said on Saturday that Hurricane Ida is expected to force authorities to activate New Orleans’ all-new $ 15 billion hurricane risk reduction system for only the second time. The system, built after Hurricane Katrina in 2005, was to be activated Sunday morning.
Edwards also detailed other rescue and recovery resources ready to respond to Ida:
- The Louisiana National Guard has established rescue and recovery facilities throughout the Acadiana impact zone in southern Louisiana with 164 high seas vehicles, 62 boats and 34 helicopters.
- More than 4,000 men and women of the National Guard have boots on the ground and 1,000 more are on their way.
- 10,000 power line workers and women are also being staged in the state with 10,000 more out of state available if needed.
Almost all Gulf oil production ceased before Ida
More than 90% of Gulf of Mexico oil production was halted on Saturday as Hurricane Ida swept through the western Gulf of Mexico to expected land Sunday night near Morgan City.
About 85% of the Gulf’s natural gas production had also been halted by noon, according to the Federal Office of Safety and Environmental Enforcement.
Workers had been evacuated from half of the Gulf’s 560 production platforms, the bureau said.
IDA IMPACT:Almost all of the Gulf’s oil production comes to a halt due to Hurricane Ida. Will gas prices be affected?
Will Ida have an impact on gas prices?
Hurricane Ida’s impact on gas prices largely depends on the severity of the storm damage to refineries in the region, analysts said.
Some figures to consider:
- About half of US refinery capacity is also located along the Gulf Coast, stretching roughly from New Orleans to Houston.
- According to Platts Analytics, about 4.4 million barrels per day of refining capacity was on the way to the storm, mostly in Louisiana.
- The facilities produce approximately 1.5 million barrels of gasoline per day, a fraction of the 8 million barrels per day consumed by the United States last year.
“Hurricane Ida is expected to hit the shore the same way as other storms, which have caused extensive damage to the USGC’s refining and petrochemical facilities,” Platts said on Saturday. “Many plants have been hardened against hurricanes, but operational disruptions are still very likely due to flooding, power outages and displacement of personnel.”
Hurricane Ida 2021: follow the path
