The National Hurricane Center says Hurricane Ida made U.S. landfall as a category 4 storm with 150 mph winds near Port Fourchon, Louisiana on Sunday afternoon.
Hurricane Ida nearly doubled in strength in a day, fueled by the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico. This is the second year in a row that a hurricane with 150 mph winds has hit Louisiana.
Governor John Bel Edwards says it will be the strongest storm to hit Louisiana since the 1850s. Ida strikes on the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, blamed for 1,800 deaths in 2005. Ida will be a test for an elaborate new flood protection system designed to protect New Orleans from the devastating levee breaches back then.
The past few days saw residents of Louisiana preparing for the storm with many people evacuating while others are sheltering in place. Here is a look at the area.
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