Exactly 16 years after the devastating hurricane “Katrina”, New Orleans is threatened by a new storm. “Ida” is likely to hit the Louisiana coast as an extremely dangerous cyclone.
New Orleans – An extremely dangerous hurricane is heading for the US Gulf Coast at the weekend, the authorities are warning of severe damage and flooding, especially in the state of Louisiana.
Governor John Bel Edwards urged everyone to go to a safe place no later than Saturday evening (local time). The National Hurricane Center (NHC) warned the state and the city of New Orleans would face massive rainfall, a storm surge and catastrophic winds.
Bad memories of “Katrina”
Hurricane “Ida” is forecast to hit land on Sunday afternoon (local time) in Louisiana as an “extremely dangerous large hurricane”, as the NHC warned. That would be exactly 16 years to the day after the arrival of the devastating hurricane “Katrina”, which caused catastrophic damage and floods in and around New Orleans. Around 1,800 people were killed at that time.
“Ida” hit the west of Cuba on Friday as a level one of five cyclones. The hurricane should pick up quickly over the Gulf of Mexico. When it arrives in Louisiana, it is predicted to be a magnitude four hurricane. Such a storm system brings wind speeds of more than 209 kilometers per hour with it and usually triggers “catastrophic destruction”. According to the NHC, severe damage and long-term power outages are to be expected.
Evacuations are ordered
“Hurricane Ida poses a direct threat to the people of New Orleans,” said Mayor LaToya Cantrell on Friday (local time). Because of the rapidly approaching storm, there is no more time to order the evacuation of the entire city. She therefore only ordered the evacuation of particularly endangered areas that lie outside the flood dams. All citizens are called upon to go to a sheltered place before the storm arrives.
In addition to storm damage, flooding as a result of the expected heavy rain and storm surges are particularly dangerous for the city, which is known as a jazz metropolis. New Orleans is almost entirely surrounded by water – Lake Pontchartrain to the north and Lake Borgne to the east, and the wetlands along the Mississippi Estuary to the south.
A storm surge of up to 4.5 meters in height can be expected on parts of the Louisiana coast, warned the NHC. For Lake Borgne a good three meters can be expected, for Lake Pontchartrain a good two meters. The governor of Louisiana mobilized the National Guard and declared a state of emergency to mobilize additional aid beforehand.
Devastation in Cuba
According to reports from the state media there, “Ida” had caused power outages in Cuba and trees fell over. Thousands of people have been evacuated, and local public transport has ceased in the capital, Havana. “Ida” is the fourth Atlantic hurricane of the season.
Meanwhile, in the Pacific, Hurricane “Nora” set course for Mexico. With wind speeds of up to 120 kilometers per hour, he will move along Mexico’s southwest coast on Saturday, said the US hurricane center Miami. The US agency warned of heavy rainfall, flash floods and landslides in several states, including Jalisco and Guerrero. “Nora” had therefore previously developed in the Pacific from a storm to a level one hurricane. dpa
