Tropical Storm Ida forms before entering Gulf. Here’s when Coast can expect advisories.
Find the latest info from the 10 p.m. Thursday update here.
Tropical Storm Ida now has a name as it heads toward the northern Gulf Coast.
The National Hurricane Center posted at 4:20 p.m. that the depression had reached tropical storm strength of 40 mph winds and was named Ida.
This came after the Air Force Hurricane Hunters that launched from Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi earlier in the day flew through the storm to determine the wind speed.
The first advisories will be issued for the Gulf Coast on Thursday night or Friday morning, the NHC said.
“The system is forecast to approach the northern Gulf Coast at or near major hurricane intensity on Sunday, where there is an increasing risk of life-threatening storm surge, damaging hurricane-force winds, and heavy rainfall Sunday and Monday, especially along the coast of Louisiana,” the report said.
A tropical storm has winds between 39-74 mph. A Category 1 has winds 74-95 mph, Category 2 96-110 mph and Category 3 111-129 mph.
Maximum winds near the eye of Ida are forecast to be 110 mph as of the 4 p.m. NHC update.
Kevin Gilmore, meteorologist at the National Weather Service in New Orleans, said at 3 p.m. video update that the storm is still forming and there are a lot of variables in play.
South Mississippi could begin to feel tropical storm-force winds late Saturday into Sunday, depending on the track of the storm.
All preparations should be complete by Saturday evening, Gilmore said.
The Sun Herald will continue to provide updates on the storm and preparations in South Mississippi.
This story was originally published August 26, 2021 at 4:58 PM.
