Tropical Storm Ida could hit the Gulf Coast as a hurricane in a few days

A few days later Hurricane Henri swept across the northeast, the tropics pose another even more dangerous threat. The National Hurricane Center is monitoring a system in the Caribbean that was upgraded Thursday afternoon to a tropical storm called Ida. In a few days, it is expected to land as a powerful hurricane off the Gulf Coast.

Ida is located in west-southwest Jamaica, with sustained winds of about 40 mph, and is moving rapidly to the northwest. Meteorologists predict rapid organization and strengthening as it approaches the Gulf Coast, which is likely to threaten Louisiana to or near the strength of hurricanes this Sunday.

Because the Gulf of Mexico has not seen a storm recently, the water has not been worked and the sea surface temperatures are very warm, ranging from 86 degrees in the deepest water to 90 degrees near off the coast of Louisiana. Combine that with the fast-paced approach of hurricane high season and there’s good reason to worry.

Forecasters have been monitoring the development of the system for several days. Before computer models can gain control over the track, they need to know where the center of the storm will form. Once this is evident, the models will be easier.

There is now a general consensus that this system is likely to head toward the Louisiana coast. When it arrives it will depend exactly on where it touches land: further west, the longer it will take. It looks like the window is narrowing from Sunday to Monday. This does not leave much time to prepare.

The following image shows two of the most reliable mid-range models, the European and American models. On Wednesday, the races of both models showed a strong hurricane hitting land somewhere off the coast of Louisiana, but some other models predicted they would reach west along the Texas coast.

Several models showed lands centered near western Louisiana. If that happened, it would be exceptionally bad luck, as both Hurricane Laura and Hurricane Delta made landfall in this area over the past year. record hurricane season.

Many things can and will change, including the eventual track and intensity. It is recommended that area residents continue to pay close attention and make sure their hurricane safety equipment is up to date.