Storm Ida strengthened into a hurricane on Friday as it approached the Cuban coast, the US Hurricane Center said. Accompanied by winds blowing up to 120 km / h, Ida was located, at 5.15 p.m. GMT, 50 kilometers from the Cuban Island of Youth.
It should then continue to rise over the weekend towards the American coasts and must make landfall on Sunday, says the American hurricane center in its latest bulletin, which considers that it could be at that time “a major hurricane” .
Louisiana in the crosshairs
Hurricane vigilance has thus been put in place for certain parts of Louisiana, including New Orleans, where evacuation orders have been issued. “It is time for the people of Louisiana to prepare,” urged Governor John Bel Edwards. “Make sure you and your family are prepared for any eventuality,” he pleaded.
I have declared a state of emergency due to the potential impacts and further development of Tropical Storm #Ida. According to the @NHC_Atlantic, this system is forecast to approach the Gulf Coast at or near major hurricane intensity Sunday. https://t.co/Dq6nBSh50n #lagov #lawx
– John Bel Edwards (@LouisianaGov) August 26, 2021
This southern state is frequently hit by hurricanes. And has not yet fully healed the wounds inflicted by the trauma of 2005, when Katrina ravaged Louisiana and killed more than 1,800.
Hurricanes more powerful with global warming
As the surface of the oceans warms, hurricanes become more powerful, scientists say. In particular, they pose an increasingly significant risk to coastal communities that are victims of wave-submersion phenomena amplified by rising sea levels.
Last week, Tropical Storm Henri, accompanied by record precipitation, hit the northeastern United States, a rare occurrence for this region where thousands of people were left without electricity.