Hurricane Ida rivals Katrina's strength ahead of Louisiana landfallWater has begun rising in Louisiana's Montegut bayou ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Ida on August 29, 2021NEW ORLEANS - Louisiana braced Sunday for Hurricane Ida, a powerful Category 4 storm on course to slam into New Orleans 16 years to the day after deadly Hurricane Katrina devastated the southern US city. The Southern state, with a low rate of vaccinations, has been among the hardest hit by the pandemic, severely stressing hospitals. "It's very painful to think about another powerful storm like Hurricane Ida making landfall on that anniversary," Edwards had previously said. Rainfall of 10 to 18 inches (25 to 46 centimeters) is expected in parts of southern Louisiana through Monday, with up to 24 inches in some areas. Plans to cope with the hurricane -- and plans for the shelters -- have been complicated by Covid-19.

Source: Bangkok Post August 29, 2021 16:41 UTC