Late-season hurricane takes aim at US Gulf Coast
By Becky Bohrer, Associated Press Writer
12 mins ago
NEW ORLEANS – Hurricane Ida, the first Atlantic hurricane to target the United States this year, plodded Sunday toward the Gulf Coast with 105 mph winds, bringing the threat of flooding and storm surges.
A hurricane warning extended more than 200 miles of coastline from Pascagoula, Miss., east to Indian Pass, Fla. Tropical storm warnings and hurricane watches are in effect across other areas of southeastern Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and the Florida Panhandle, including New Orleans. Louisiana's governor declared a state of emergency.
Authorities said Ida could make landfall as early as Tuesday morning, although it was forecast to weaken by then. Officials and residents kept a close eye on the Category 2 hurricane as it approached, though there were no immediate plans for evacuations.
Sunday night, Ida was located 400 miles south-southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi River and moving north-northwest near 14 mph. The latest forecast from the National Hurricane Center shows Ida brushing near Louisiana and Mississippi, then making landfall near Alabama before continuing across north Florida.
Yet many residents took the forecast in stride.
"Even though we're telling everybody to be prepared, my gut tells me it probably won't be that bad," said Steve Arndt, director of Bay Point Marina Co. in Panama City, Fla.
In Louisiana, Gov. Bobby Jindal had declared a state of emergency as a precaution, and the National Guard was on high alert if assistance was needed. In Florida, residents of Pensacola Beach and nearby Perdido Key were encouraged to leave and school was canceled in the area Monday and Tuesday.
Officials told residents to prepare for potential gusts of 60 mph by removing any tree limbs that could damage their homes and securing or bringing in any trash cans, grills, potted plants or patio furniture.
Nearly 1,400 Louisiana residents are still living in federally issued trailers and mobile homes after hurricanes Katrina and Rita; nearly 360 units remained in Mississippi.
"FEMA stresses that those in temporary (housing) units should not take chances," Federal Emergency Management Agency spokesman Andrew Thomas said. "Leave the unit behind and evacuate to a permanent structure that will better withstand tropical weather systems and the associated winds."
Mississippi authorities warned residents to be vigilant. Authorities were monitoring conditions to see whether any evacuations of lower-lying areas or school closures would be necessary.
"It is likely we will at least be hit with strong winds and some flooding in our coastal counties," said Jeff Rent, a spokesman for the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency. Officials "do not want anybody to be caught off guard."
Mississippi Emergency Management Agency Director Mike Womack said forecasts called for tides of 4-7 feet above normal and rainfall totals of 5-7 inches within 24 hours, which could mean flooding along the coasts and along rivers.
Alabama emergency management officials did not immediately respond to phone messages.
In the Florida Panhandle, residents in Bay County and Panama City were being advised to secure boats and prepare for storm surges that could reach 2-3 feet. Heavy rain, wind and possible flooding was also expected.
"You really don't know until it gets close how you're going to be affected by it," said Brad Monroe, Bay County's deputy chief of emergency services.
Ida wasn't expected to pack the wallop seen in 2008 when hurricanes Gustav and Ike pelted the Gulf Coast back-to-back. There have been nine named storms this season, which ends Dec. 1. Ida is only the third hurricane to form, and the other two did not threaten land.
In New Orleans, unflappable fans at the Saints football game seemed unaware a storm was approaching.
"We're used to tropical storms," said David Clements of Chalmette, La. "That's why we have a dome."
Earlier Sunday, Ida's wind and rain whipped palm trees in the Mexican resort city of Cancun. Fishermen tied their boats down, though tourists seemed to regard it as a minor setback.
"It's not what we expected," said Kathleen Weisser, a nurse from Fernley, Nev. "We wanted sun. Instead we have liquid sunshine."
Mexico had canceled all watches and warnings for the country.
Ron Kaczorowski, of Chicago, said his daughter was forced to move her beach wedding inside because of the storm. He said he had tried to reassure his disappointed daughter that the nasty weather would make her wedding stand out.
"I told her, 'How many people get married in a hurricane?'"
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091109/...opical_weather
Hurricane Ida Situation Page (tm) link...
http://www.vuetoo.com/vue1/Situation...p?af=&sit=5087
HURRICANE IDA ADVISORY NUMBER 21
SUN NOV 08 2009
...IDA HEADING NORTH-NORTHWESTWARD....HURRICANE WARNING ISSUED FOR A PORTION OF THE NORTHERN GULF COAST...
AT 900 PM CST...0300 UTC...A HURRICANE WARNING HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THE NORTHERN GULF COAST FROM PASCAGOULA MISSISSIPPI EASTWARD TO INDIAN PASS FLORIDA. A HURRICANE WARNING MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED SOMEWHERE WITHIN THE WARNING AREA WITHIN 24 HOURS. PREPARATIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY SHOULD BE RUSHED TO COMPLETION.
AT 900 PM CST...0300 UTC...A TROPICAL STORM WARNING AND A HURRICANE WATCH ARE IN EFFECT FOR THE NORTHERN GULF COAST FROM GRAND ISLE LOUISIANA EASTWARD TO WEST OF PASCAGOULA MISSISSIPPI...INCLUDING NEW ORLEANS AND LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN. A TROPICAL STORM WARNING MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED SOMEWHERE WITHIN THE WARNING AREA WITHIN 24 HOURS. A HURRICANE WATCH MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE WITHIN THE WATCH AREA...GENERALLY WITHIN 36 HOURS.
AT 900 PM CST...0300 UTC...A TROPICAL STORM WARNING HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THE NORTHERN GULF COAST FROM EAST OF INDIAN PASS TO AUCILLA RIVER FLORIDA.
AT 900 PM CST...0300 UTC...THE GOVERNMENT OF CUBA HAS DISCONTINUED ALL WATCHES AND WARNINGS FOR CUBA.
FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA...INCLUDING POSSIBLE INLAND WATCHES AND WARNINGS...PLEASE MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED BY YOUR LOCAL NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST OFFICE.
AT 900 PM CST...0300 UTC...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE IDA WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 23.7 NORTH...LONGITUDE 86.7 WEST OR ABOUT 400 MILES... 645 KM...SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF THE MOUTH OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER.
IDA IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH-NORTHWEST NEAR 14 MPH...22 KM/HR. A TURN TOWARD THE NORTH AND AN INCREASE IN FORWARD SPEED ARE EXPECTED DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS...FOLLOWED BY A TURN TOWARD THE NORTHEAST ON MONDAY NIGHT. ON THE FORECAST TRACK...IDA IS EXPECTED TO CROSS THE GULF OF MEXICO TONIGHT AND MONDAY...AND APPROACH THE NORTHERN GULF COAST MONDAY NIGHT OR EARLY TUESDAY.
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 105 MPH...165 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. IDA IS A CATEGORY TWO HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE. GRADUAL WEAKENING IS FORECAST...BUT IDA IS EXPECTED TO REMAIN A HURRICANE AS IT APPROACHES THE NORTHERN GULF COAST.
HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 35 MILES...55 KM...FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 175 MILES...280 KM.
ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 979 MB...28.91 INCHES.
IDA IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE ADDITIONAL RAIN ACCUMULATIONS OF 1 TO 3 INCHES OVER PORTIONS OF WESTERN CUBA...WITH ISOLATED MAXIMUM STORM TOTAL AMOUNTS OF 8 INCHES POSSIBLE.
RAINS WILL BE INCREASING WELL IN ADVANCE OF IDA ACROSS THE CENTRAL AND EASTERN GULF COAST...BUT WILL BECOME STEADIER AND HEAVIER BY MONDAY INTO TUESDAY. TOTAL STORM ACCUMULATIONS OF 3 TO 5 INCHES WITH ISOLATED MAXIMUM STORM TOTALS OF 8 INCHES WILL BE POSSIBLE THROUGH TUESDAY FROM THE CENTRAL AND EASTERN GULF COAST NORTHWARD INTO THE EASTERN PORTIONS OF THE TENNESSEE VALLEY AND THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS.
A DANGEROUS STORM SURGE WILL RAISE WATER LEVELS BY AS MUCH AS 4 TO 6 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL ALONG THE COAST NEAR AND TO THE EAST OF WHERE THE CENTER MAKES LANDFALL. NEAR THE COAST...THE SURGE WILL BE ACCOMPANIED BY LARGE AND DESTRUCTIVE WAVES.
...SUMMARY OF 900 PM CST INFORMATION... LOCATION...23.7N 86.7W MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...105 MPH PRESENT MOVEMENT...NORTH-NORTHWEST OR 345 DEGREES AT 14 MPH MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...979 MB
AN INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER AT 1200 AM CST FOLLOWED BY THE NEXT COMPLETE ADVISORY AT 300 AM CST.
National Hurricane Situation Page (tm) link...
http://www.vuetoo.com/vue1/Situation...p?af=&sit=5111