There was ‘confusion’ on how Ida would affect LA, MS Coast. Here’s forecast for your area.
The National Weather Service New Orleans on Saturday evening cleared up “confusion” about the differences in Hurricane Ida’s expected impacts between different areas of Mississippi and Louisiana.
The storm, expected to make landfall as a Category 4 hurricane, is dangerous and will produce “life-threatening impacts,” the weather service said.
The National Hurricane Center in its 4 p.m. update said Ida’s shape has continued to improve over the afternoon, and the track has moved a little to the right of its previous path. A storm surge warning was extended across the Alabama coast to the Florida border, but the forecast did not change for the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
Here is the current forecast information on projected impacts across the region:
Mississippi Coast
The Mississippi Coast can expect sustained winds of 74 mph, the weather service said Saturday evening on Twitter, with 8-12 inches of rainfall expected.
Brief tornadoes are possible, as well as 7-11 feet of storm surge in Harrison and Hancock counties and 4-7 feet in Jackson County.
Southwest Mississippi
Southwest Mississippi near McComb can expect sustained winds of 74 mph, according to the weather service, with 8-12 inches of rainfall and brief tornadoes possible.
Coastal Louisiana
Coastal Louisiana can expect sustained winds of 110 mph with 10-15 inches of rainfall, going up to 20 inches possible. Brief tornadoes could occur with 10-15 feet of storm surge.
Metro New Orleans
The New Orleans metro area can expect sustained winds of 110 mph. Ten to 15 inches of rainfall is possible, going up to 20 inches, with a chance of brief tornadoes.
Louisiana Northshore
The Northshore, including cities like Slidell, Mandeville and Covington, might see winds sustained winds of 110 mph. Ten to 15 inches of rainfall is possible, going up to 20 inches, with a chance of brief tornadoes. Storm surges could range from five to eight feet in Lake Pontchartrain.
This story was originally published August 28, 2021 at 8:14 PM.
