NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — With Hurricane Ida intensifying in the Gulf of Mexico and still on track to slam into the southeast coast of Louisiana, time is running out to safely evacuate from the storm’s deadly path.
Currently listed as a category 2 hurricane, Ida is predicted to reach Cat. 4 status when it reaches Terrebonne Parish on Sunday afternoon, dropping as much as 20 or more inches of rain when it reaches landfall.
When Hurricane Katrina swashed a deadly path of destruction exactly 16 years to the day Ida is expected to hit New Orleans, it was a Cat. 3.
According to the Safir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale, a category 3 like Katrina produces “devastating damage” with wind speeds ranging between 111-121 mph. Even well-built homes can sustain major damage, including the loss of roofing material and impact from uprooted trees.
But just how powerful is a Cat. 4?
“Catastrophic!”
Not only can roofs suffer severe damage, but the exterior can also be destroyed. The loss of water and electricity between the two categories jumps from days and weeks to possibly months without service.
In a video posted at the top of this webpage, the National Hurricane Center depicts a model of just how destructive Hurricane Ida, a potential Cat. 4, could be when it reaches land.