Hurricane in the Caribbean: “Ida” sweeps across Cuba towards the USA

With “Ida” the first severe hurricane of the year is approaching the USA. Evacuations are ongoing on the Gulf Coast near New Orleans. The tropical storm had previously passed over Cuba.

Storm “Ida” swept over Cuba as a level one hurricane. It had gained strength in the Caribbean just before it reached land on the Cuban island of Isla de la Juventud – according to the US state hurricane center NHC, sustained winds of 120 kilometers per hour were measured.

So far there is no information about possible damage. Thousands of people have been evacuated in Cuba. Local public transport has been discontinued in the capital Havana.

“Ida” is now heading for the USA and is gaining dramatic strength over the very warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico. If you live along the coast around New Orleans, you have to leave the area. The tropical storm is expected to hit the land there as one of the second highest category 4 with wind speeds of over 210 kilometers per hour. A tidal wave of four meters and torrential rain is also expected far into the interior of the USA.

Memories of “Katrina” are awakened

The exact path of a hurricane remains uncertain until the very end, but everything indicates that it will hit land on Sunday noon local time in Louisiana. That would be exactly 16 years to the day after Hurricane Katrina, which hit New Orleans on August 29, 2005. Back then, breaking dams flooded the city, killing well over 1,000 people.