Hurricane

Hurricane Summary POSTED: November 9, 2009 1:19 a.m. Ida Remains a Category 2 Hurricane Hurricane Ida is moving north-northwestward in the southern Gulf of Mexico Sunday night. As of 1 a.m. EST, the storm was located near 24.4 north, 87.5 west or about 340 miles south-southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi River. Maximum-sustained winds are 105 mph, which makes Ida a Category 2 hurricane. Ida is moving toward the north-northwest at 15 mph, with a minimum central pressure of 987 mb. A hurricane warning has been issued for the northern Gulf Coast from Pascagoula, Mississippi eastward to Indian Pass, Florida. A tropical storm warning along with a hurricane watch are in effect for the central Gulf Coast from Grand Isle, La., to eastward to just west of Pascagoula, Miss., which includes New Orleans and Lake Pontchartrain. A tropical storm warning has been issued from just east of Indian Pass to Aucilla River Florida. Ida has maintained its strength as a Category 2 hurricane Sunday night while the storm moved into the southern Gulf of Mexico earlier in the day. However, as the system moves north towards the Gulf Coast, it will encounter increasing west-to-southwesterly wind shear and progressively cooler waters. Although we expect slow weakening through Monday, heavy rain and strong winds will be a serious threat to the region. Widespread heavy rain will fall along parts of the central Gulf Coast later Monday and Monday night, especially across the western Florida panhandle. This rain will create a significant flood threat in the region. Strong winds will increase tide levels along the coast and, as a result, there is a major concern for coastal flooding over the central Gulf coast, including New Orleans. Storm surge will likely be on the order of 3-6 feet with this storm, especially just east of the center of Ida. Gusts to hurricane-force, most likely to occur in the western Florida panhandle, can lead to property damage, including power outages. At this point, we expect Ida to make landfall as either a Category 1 hurricane or very strong tropical storm shortly before daybreak Tuesday morning in the western Florida panhandle. Rainfall with Ida will be greatest to the north and east of the landfall of the storm. Rainfall through the storm will be between 5-10 inches with the highest totals with the storm in western Florida and southwestern Georgia with locally 15 inches of rain in some areas. By AccuWeather.com Meteorologists Justin Povick and Andy Mussoline