Hurricane Ida Makes Landfall in Cuba; Forecast to Hit Louisiana Next as Category 4 Hurricane
People walk under the rain in Havana on August 27, 2021, as Hurricane Ida passes through eastern Cuba. - Storm Ida has strengthened into a hurricane as it barrels toward Cuba and the US Gulf Coast, the National Hurricane Center said Friday. ADALBERTO ROQUE/AFP via Getty Images

Hurricane Ida is seen to hit the northern U.S. Gulf Coast as a major hurricane this weekend, bringing life-threatening storm surge and dangerous rainfall flooding.

There could also be likely catastrophic winds and tornadoes, according to a Weather report. Ida has made landfall in Cuba on Friday, August 27. It has made landfall in western Cuba in Pinar Del Rio province with winds of 80 mph.

The National Hurricane Center said Ida is expected to slam the southern coast of the U.S. as a Category 4 hurricane with sustained winds of 140 mph on Sunday, August 29, putting states from Louisiana to Florida on alert for severe destruction.

The NOAA reported that once the storm moves past western Cuba and into the southeastern Gulf of Mexico, it would move through a very favorable oceanic and atmospheric environment, resulting in a period of rapid strengthening in the next 24 to 36 hours.

CNN meteorologist Chad Myers said Friday that wind damage and storm surge will be life-threatening from Louisiana to the Florida Gulf Coast. Ida was formed as a tropical storm in the Caribbean on Thursday, August 26.

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Strength of Hurricane Ida

The state of Louisiana prepares for a direct hit from the storm as it intensifies into a hurricane on Friday. New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell said Friday evening that there are no indications that Ida will weaken at all, adding that time is not on their side.

Cantrell noted that the city could not issue a mandatory evacuation as they do not have the time to do so, USA Today reported.

The mayor said mandatory evacuation could pose more risk than safety as people could be in their vehicles once the storm hits the state. Cantrell noted that residents should be in a safe space by Saturday midnight.

During a Friday weather forecast, National Weather Service meteorologist Benjamin Schott said that Ida would be a life-threatening storm for those who are not prepared.

Associated Press reported that President Joe Biden has already approved a federal emergency declaration for Louisiana ahead of the storm.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the government intends to deploy around 150 medical personnel to help strained hospitals, with 50 ambulances. There will also be around 50 ambulances to the Gulf Coast.

Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards said all residents should be in the area where they plan to ride out the storm by Saturday evening. Ida would hit 16 years after Hurricane Katrina made landfall as Category 3 storm with 125 mph.

Hurricane Katrina

Hurricane Katrina made landfall in the southeastern U.S. in August 2005, claiming more than 1,800 lives. It was ranked as the costliest natural disaster in the history of the U.S., according to Britannica.

Katrina became one of the most powerful Atlantic storms on the record. On August 29, 2005, it made landfall as a category 4 hurricane in Louisiana with maximum sustained winds of around 145 mph.

It produced 10 to 20 inches of rain, flooding, tornadoes, and injuries across far southern Florida. An estimate of $108 billion in property damage was reported when Katrina struck the United States.

Former President Barack Obama commented on Katrina 10 years after the disaster. Obama said the natural disaster had become a man-made disaster when the government has failed to look out for its own citizens.

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Written by: Mary Webber

WATCH: Hurricane Ida Could Make Landfall in Louisiana as a Category 4 Storm - From WFAA