BATON ROUGE, La. — On Friday afternoon, Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards held a press conference to update residents about storm preparations and response, as Ida nears.
The governor announced Hurricane Ida is moving fast.
“We don’t have the normal time we typically have to prepare for a hurricane of this magnitude, everybody takes advantage of every minute you have,” said Edwards.
Edwards said the storm is ahead of schedule and the storm is rapidly intensifying.
Edwards said Louisiana has a serious situation in its hands.
He urged the public to take care of one another and check in on family, elderly, and neighbors.
In preparation, more than five thousand soldiers from the National Guard will be able to respond to individuals needing help.
Along with high-speed winds and flooding, officials warn of post-storm safety, carbon monoxide poisoning, power, and the ongoing surge of COVID-19.
The Louisiana Department of Health urges the public to keep COVID-19 safety a part of their hurricane plans.
The latest update from the National Hurricane Center has Ida making landfall as a category 3 storm with winds of 120 mph.
Southern Louisiana residents should expect significant impacts from this storm. Right now most of the coast is forecast at 7-11 feet, which means flooding is likely outside the levee system.
One of the other big issues with Ida will be the heavy rain. Look for a potential of 10-15 inches across the area with isolated higher amounts possible.
Wind speeds will be gusting into the 80s and 90s as this storm moves through. That combined with heavy rain amounts means power outages will be likely. If you are staying home you should prepare for several days if not more than a week without power.
