Hurricane Ida hit the southwestern coast of Cuba on Friday night, with winds and heavy rainfall, before continuing north toward Louisiana, where it could rise from Category 1 to Category 4 and develop into “Extremely dangerous”.
Around 00:30 Greek time, Hurricane Aida arrived in Cuban territory and in the village of La Coloma in the province of Pinar del Rio (west) with a wind speed of 130 km per hour., said the Cuban Meteorological Institute Insmet. It was moving northwest at a speed of 24 km per hour.
The hurricane had previously passed through the Cuban island of Isla de la Hovendud, but winds and rains caused only minor damage to crops and homes.
Arriving in the province of Pinar del Rio, it hit the current epicenter of the new coronavirus pandemic on the island, with the province’s health system shaken by an outbreak in recent weeks. More than 10,000 people were evacuated from their homes and power was cut off as a precaution.
Images from television networks showed dozens of fallen trees across the province and a raging sea.
In the capital, Havana, near this province, public transport was cut off at noon and thousands of people were evacuated.
16 years after Katrina
For its part, Louisiana was preparing to face this hurricane, which was expected to arrive there on Sunday, as the 16th anniversary of one of the most violent weather events in the region approaches: Hurricane Katrina.
Hurricane Ida could rise from Category 1 to Category 4 on a five-point scale, according to the latest report from the US Cyclone Monitor (NHC).
The NHC warned that it could turn into “a big hurricane” and “extremely dangerous”, which can bring winds of more than 200 km / h.
Joe Biden on Friday approved a state of emergency in Louisiana to provide “federal assistance” to preparedness efforts, with voluntary and mandatory evacuation orders issued at certain locations.
“The president will be following this situation closely and will keep abreast of developments over the weekend,” said White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki.
“This is an extreme challenge to our state,” Louisiana Gov. John Bell Edwards said in a statement as his state faces a new Covid-19 outbreak that has flooded hospitals.
“It’s time for Louisiana residents to be ready,” said Mel Edwards, who said that by Saturday night, every resident of Poltea should be in a safe haven.
«Make sure you and your family are prepared for any eventuality“, He begged.
“Serious situation
New Orleans Mayor Latoya Cantrell acknowledged that it was too late to evacuate: “We are not calling for people to be evacuated because time is not on our side. “We do not want people to be on the road, because that way they are at greater risk,” he told a news conference.
«The situation is much more serious than it was six hours ago“, He said, predicting that there will be possible damages.
«We are on the east side in the course of the storm, we anticipate a significant impact“, He wrote earlier on Twitter.
Louisiana, a state in the south of the country, is often hit by hurricanes. And it has not yet fully healed the wounds caused by the 2005 trauma when Katrina tore down Louisiana and killed more than 1,800 people.
During this traumatic event, New Orleans was flooded by 80% when the embankments protecting the city receded.
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