Hurricane Ida Makes Landfall In Louisiana With Category 4 Storm, Stronger Than Katrina

According to the National Hurricane Center, Hurricane Ida made landfall near Port Fourchon, Louisiana, early Sunday afternoon as an extremely dangerous Category 4 hurricane with winds of 150 mph.

It comes on the 16th anniversary of Katrina's landfall. A Category 3 storm, Katrina was blamed for 1,800 deaths and caused levee breaches and catastrophic flooding in New Orleans, which followed years of recovery.

Ida arrives on the heels of a United Nations scientific report warning that weather will only grow more extreme as global warming intensifies. 

The storm's maximum sustained winds are down to 145 mph, according to the 3 p.m. ET NHC update. It's located 25 miles southeast of Houma, Louisiana, moving northwest at 12 mph.

"We're not the same state we were 16 years ago. But expects Ida to be a big challenge for us," Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards said.

Ida, which came ashore about 60 miles south of New Orleans, is expected to drive up ocean levels as much as 16 feet.

On Saturday, Coastal highways saw heavy traffic as people moved to escape the storm's path. Trucks pulling saltwater fishing boats and campers streamed away from the coast of Interstate 65 in south Alabama. Traffic jams clogged Interstate 10 heading out of New Orleans.

According to Poweroutage.us, by Sunday afternoon, more than 285,000 homes and businesses were without power. It anticipates that the blackouts could last for weeks. 

Ida also caused more than 95% of the Gulf of Mexico's oil production to shut down, regulators said Sunday, indicating the hurricane will significantly impact the energy supply.

According to the Storm Prediction Center, a tornado watch is in effect until 8 p.m. ET for parts of Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, and Mississippi. 

There is also a danger of life-threatening storm surge Sunday in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama.

Ida is considered the fourth hurricane to pound Louisiana since last August and the state's third major hurricane landfall in that time span.