Hurricane Ida strengthens into Category 3 storm as it nears Gulf Coast landfall
CNN
As Hurricane Ida marches north toward Louisiana and the Gulf Coast, weather forecasters say the storm's wind speeds are expected to increase, potentially bringing even greater devastation to the region upon its arrival.
"Ida is poised to strengthen further and based on recent satellite images it appears that strengthening is imminent," the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said Saturday evening, adding that Ida is "expected to be an extremely dangerous major hurricane." Ida strengthened to a Category 3 storm as of early Sunday morning, Air Force Hurricane Hunter aircraft determined, with sustained winds at 115 mph and gusting to 125 mph. Forecasts have Ida potentially becoming a Category 4 hurricane prior to landfall with sustained winds of at least 130 mph.More Related News