Hurricane Ida live updates: Storm gains strength with 150 mph winds

(NEW ORLEANS) — Ida, which became a Category 1 hurricane Friday afternoon has strengthened into a Category 4 hurricane with 150 mph winds.

The system made landfall southeast Louisiana on Sunday afternoon and will be a tropical storm nearing the border of Mississippi by Monday morning.

The storm landed on the 16-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, a Category 3 storm that ravaged the Gulf Coast. Katrinia unleashed a series of events, taking the lives of more than 1,800 people and leaving more than $100 billion worth of damage in its wake.

Aug 29, 3:43 pm

Nearly 320,000 customers are without power in Louisiana as Hurricane Ida moves through the state, according to poweroutage.us.

-ABC News’ Will McDuffie

Aug 29, 3:38 pm

Residents who defied evacuation orders called to be rescued: Officials

Some of the 40 people who defied mandatory evacuation orders in Grand Isle, Louisiana, called to be rescued as Hurricane Ida made landfall, officials said.

No one was able to go rescue them, Jefferson County Parish President Cynthia Lee Sheng told reporters at a news conference Sunday afternoon.

“We’re getting requests for rescue, but I do not know the status of those people, and I don’t know if even [the first responders on the island] know the status of those people,” she said. The number of calls emergency dispatchers received was not specified.

The 40 people who remained in the town are a mix of residents and first responders who are hunkering down during Ida.

The lone road into Grand Isle was flooded by 6 feet of water, Sheng said.

“The conditions are very, very bad right now in Grand Isle,” Sheng said. “They are really getting beaten up right at this moment.”

-ABC News’ Will McDuffie

Aug 29, 3:23 pm

Storm weakens but dangerous hurricane conditions continue

Ida remained a strong Category 4 hurricane at 3 p.m., with maximum sustained winds of 145 mph.

The center of the storm is currently 25 miles west-northwest of Grand Isle, Louisiana, after making a second landfall along the southeastern Louisiana coast, just southwest of Galliano.

The eye of the storm is continuing to come ashore, bringing powerful, damaging winds and torrential rain.

Extreme wind warnings have now been issued over an extended area, southwest of New Orleans.

A recent wind gust of 76 mph was reported at New Orleans Lakefront Airport, while wind gusts of 125 mph were reported at Golden Meadow, Louisiana. Winds are also gusting more than 115 mph in places like Houma, Thibodaux, Laplace and Gramercy.

Storm surge up of 7.2 feet is coming into Shell Beach, Louisiana, while 6.3 feet of surge was reported in Waveland, Mississippi.

Tornado watches are in effect in coastal parts of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida.

The heavy rain and flash flooding threats will eventually reach the Tennessee Valley Monday into Tuesday and will likely affect Waverly, Tennessee, which was recently devastated by deadly flooding.

-ABC News’ Melissa Griffin and Dan Peck

Aug 29, 2:38 pm

More than 223,000 customers without power in Louisiana as Hurricane Ida moves through the state, according to .

-ABC News’ Will McDuffie

Aug 29, 2:26 pm

Eye of storm bringing extremely dangerous conditions to southeast Louisiana

Hurricane Ida is holding on to maximum sustained winds of 150 mph more than an hour after it made landfall near Port Fourchon, Louisiana.

As Ida’s eye continues to move ashore, it is bringing powerful, damaging winds, torrential rain and dangerous storm surge to the southeast Louisiana coast.

The center of the storm is currently about 55 miles south-southwest of New Orleans and is moving northwest at 13 mph.

Ida will continue to move across southeastern Louisiana through Sunday afternoon, bringing major weather impacts to a widespread region.

Relentless heavy rain could trigger potentially significant flash flooding, while high wind gusts, dangerous storm surge and possible tornados also threaten the area.

Tornados are also possible in parts of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and the Florida panhandle.

Storm surge concerns will be greatest Sunday afternoon and evening as the storm moves further inland. The surge could reach 8 to 12 feet in some spots along the coast of Louisiana and Mississippi.

An extreme wind warning remains in effect for the region, including in Grand Isle, Louisiana, which is currently reporting intense wind gusts.

Deteriorating conditions with heavy rounds of rain and possible flash flooding are expected in New Orleans over the next few hours.

The system will begin to weaken over the next few hours but will still bring dangerous hurricane conditions over a widespread area. A large swath of the Louisiana and Mississippi areas can see 10 to 20 inches.

The heavy rain and flash flooding threats will eventually reach the

Tennessee Valley Monday into Tuesday.

-ABC News’ Dan Peck

Aug 29, 1:58 pm

Louisiana officials urge residents to stay inside: ‘There’s nobody coming right now’

Residents who did not evacuate storm-affected regions of Louisiana are being instructed to shelter in place, as conditions are now too perilous for first responders to save them.

“There’s nobody coming right now,” said New Orleans Director of Homeland Security Collin Arnold Amayor during a press conference Sunday afternoon. “You need to stay inside.”

People have even been instructed to avoid going to hospitals, which are hunkering down amid the life-threatening winds and heavy rain.

“Please do not try to access a health care or hospital facility right now,” said Jennifer Avegno, director of the New Orleans Health Department. “Our hospitals are hunkering down. They are caring for the patients who are within their walls…We will be there for you when the storm passes.”

-ABC News’ Joshua Hoyos and Will McDuffie

Aug 29, 1:30 pm

Ida marks 2 years in a row of record-breaking hurricanes in Louisiana

There have now been two years in a row of record-breaking hurricanes making landfall in Louisiana.

Hurricane Laura in 2020 and Hurricane Ida today were both packed with 150 mph winds.

The previous hurricane to contain winds at such speeds in Louisiana was the Last Island Hurricane in 1856.

When it comes to pressure, Ida is the second-strongest storm on record to hit Louisiana, beating out only Hurricane Katrina.

-ABC News’ Melissa Griffin

Aug 29, 1:05 pm

Ida makes landfall in Louisiana

Hurricane Ida made landfall near Port Fourchon, Louisiana, just before 1 p.m. as a dangerous Category 4 hurricane with maximum winds of 150 mph.

This is of the strongest hurricanes on record to hit the state of Louisiana. Hurricane Laura made landfall on Aug. 27, 2020, as a category 4 with 150 mph winds as well.

Sixteen years ago today, Aug. 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina made landfall in Louisiana.

-ABC News’ Dan Peck

Aug 29, 12:20 pm

Stunning video taken from inside the eye of #Ida this morning by the NESDIS Ocean Winds Research team during a flight on the @NOAA_HurrHunter P3 aircraft @NOAASatellites pic.twitter.com/sjt970Yeiq

— National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) August 29, 2021

Aug 29, 12:11 pm

Eyewall beginning to hit land

Hurricane conditions are beginning to strengthen as Ida’s eyewall edges closer to Louisiana’s shore.

The system is still a Category 4 storm with 150 mph winds. As of 12 p.m., it was 25 miles south-southwest of Grand Isle, Louisiana, and about 60 miles southeast of Houma, Louisiana.

Ida is moving northwest at 13 mph.

Shell Beach, Louisiana, is reporting 6 feet of storm surge, while parts of southern Mississippi are reporting storm surge of 5.4 feet.

Wind gusts well over 100 mph are being reported in south Louisiana, with gusts up to 60 mph at New Orleans Lakefront Airport.

-ABC News’ Dan Manzo

Aug 29, 11:16 am

Catastrophic storm surge coming ashore

Hurricane force winds and catastrophic storm surge are moving onto the southern Louisiana coast.

Ida is a major Category 4 hurricane with winds of 150 mph, but it has the possibility to strengthen even more in the next hour as it churns along the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico.

At 11 a.m., the storm was about 85 miles south of New Orleans, moving northwest at 13 mph.

Wind gusts of 121 mph have already been reported in southern Louisiana, while storm surge of 5.6 feet was recorded in Shell Beach, Louisiana.

Ida is expected to make landfall in the next few hours.

-ABC News’ Dan Manzo

Aug 29, 10:06 am

Northern eyewall of storm approaching Louisiana

Wind gusts of 121 mph have been reported as the eye of Hurricane Ida edges toward land.

Ida is now 40 miles south-southwest of Grand Isle, Louisiana, moving northwest at 14 mph.

An extreme wind warning remains in effect for parts of Louisiana, where winds up to 150 mph are expected.

-ABC News’ Dan Manzo

Aug 29, 9:26 am

Residents still in southern Louisiana advised to ‘take cover now’

Winds up to 150 mph are now moving onto Louisiana’s coast.

Hurricane Ida is now 50 miles south-southeast of Grand Isle, Louisiana, moving northwest at 15 mph.

An extreme wind warning has been issued for parts of southern Louisiana, including Houma, Louisiana, about 60 miles southwest of New Orleans.

Winds are currently gusting to 120 mph on the edge of the state, and rainfall rates of 3 inches per hour or more are now moving into Louisiana.

Widespread destructive winds of 115 mph to 150 mph with “swaths of tornado-like damage” will be spread across St. Bernard Parish, St. Charles Parish, Terrebonne Parish, Lafourche Parish, Jefferson Parish and Plaquemines Parish, according to the National Weather Service.

Residents who did not evacuate are advised to take cover in a reinforced interior room away from windows or under a table or other sturdy piece of furniture with blankets and mattresses covering their face and body.

-ABC News’ Dan Manzo

Aug 29, 8:36 am

Ida may become strongest hurricane for wind speed in Louisiana history

With 155 mph winds expected at landfall, Ida is now forecast to surpass Hurricane Laura in 2020, and Last Island Hurricane in 1856 — which broke state records. Simply put, Ida may become the strongest hurricane by wind speed to hit Louisiana.

Aug 29, 8:23 am

Ida to make landfall with 155 mph winds in just a few hours: NHC

The National Hurricane Center forecasts that Ida will make landfall in a just a few hours, reaching wind speeds of up to 155 mph.

That wind speed would make Ida just 1 mph short of becoming a Category 5 storm.

Aug 29, 8:09 am

Hurricane-force winds hit southern Louisiana

Major Hurricane Ida is a high-end Category 4 hurricane with 150 mph and hurricane-force winds are hitting the coast of southern Louisiana now.

Hurricane Ida has winds of 150 mph and is about 50 miles southwest of the mouth of the Mississippi River. The storm is moving northwest at 15 mph. The current pressure is 933 mb.

At 8 p.m. Saturday night, Hurricane Ida was a Category 2 hurricane with 105 mph winds. The pressure was 969 mb. Ida has dropped 36 mb in 12 hours.

Aug 29, 7:46 am

Tornadoes possible as Ida makes landfall

A new tornado watch has been issued from New Orleans to Pensacola, Florida. A few tornadoes will be possible as Ida comes ashore.

This tornado watch will go until 7 p.m. CDT.

Aug 29, 7:04 am

Winds now at 150 mph

Hurricane Ida has strengthened once again with winds now 150 mph.  Wind gusts of 93 mph are being reported in southeast Louisiana.

Ida is now 60 Miles south-sothwest of the mouth of the Mississippi River. Ida is moving northwest at 15 MPH.

Aug 29, 6:51 am

Hurricane Ida winds now at 145 mph, storm still intensifying

Hurricane Ida has strengthened with winds now at 145 mph and is a Category 4 major hurricane. Wind gusts of 74 mph are being reported on the extreme southern edge of Louisiana.

Ida is now 65 miles from the mouth of the Mississippi River and 80 miles south-southeast of Grand Isle, Louisiana. The storm is moving northwest at 15 mph.

Hurricane Ida now is expected to bring up to 16 feet of storm surge to the southern Louisiana Coast

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