(CNN) – The tropical storm Ida is moving rapidly towards the Gulf Coast, and when it reaches the region, it will carry the power of a hurricane.
Ida is currently blowing at 65km / h in the Caribbean and will hit the United States on Sunday, according to a Thursday night update National Hurricane Center (NHC). Up to 300 mm of rain and up to 3.5 m of storm will occur in some areas.
Louisiana residents are already preparing for the possible consequences. Governor John Bell Edwards declared a state of emergency Thursday with hurricane-force winds of up to 177 km / h due to possible damage from the storm.
“Unfortunately, the entire coast of Louisiana is currently in the forecast for tropical storm Ida,” Edwards said. “It’s time for people to finalize their emergency plan, which should take into account the current Govt-19 epidemic.”
The governor said they should all be in the place where they want to face the storm by Saturday night.
“While it is my hope and prayer that this storm will not bring destruction to our state, we must be prepared to withstand bad weather,” the governor added.
According to the NHC, there is a hurricane monitoring from Cameroon, Louisiana to the eastern Mississippi / Alabama border, including New Orleans. Meanwhile, parts of Mississippi, Alabama and Florida are under tropical storm monitoring.
When Ida arrives, the NHC says the arid areas near the coast are generally “moving off the coast with rising water”. From Morgan, Louisiana, to Ocean Springs, Mississippi, the storm will reach 3.5 meters.
The Gulf Coast may experience hurricane-force winds on Saturday, with the NHC forecasting 200 to 300 millimeters of rain until Monday.
Ida’s Journey
But before the United States can face Ida, it must face the Caribbean storm.
First, Ida is expected to cross the Cayman Islands, then hit the Isle of Youth and western Cuba on Friday.
The Cayman Islands, as well as the Cuban provinces of Madanzas, Mayapeque, Havana, Artemisia, Pinar del Rio and Isla de la Juventus are under tropical storm warning. There, the storm moves into the Gulf of Mexico.
“Once the system moves to the Gulf of Mexico, conditions are expected to be optimal for further strengthening, and rapid intensity is evident in the NHC forecast between 48 and 72 hours,” the NHC said.
“The NHC’s forecast is approaching the strength of a major hurricane as it approaches the northern Gulf Coast on Sunday.”
Jutson Jones, Rebecca Rice and Devon Sayers de CNN.