Hurricane Ida reaches Category 2 strength as it threatens the United States

November 8, 4:18 PMNatural Disasters ExaminerTony Hake

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Hurricane Ida was passing Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula on
Sunday as it attained Category 2 strength. The storm now enters
the Gulf of Mexico and is forecast to impact a wide area from
Louisiana, across Alabama and Mississippi and into Florida.
(CIMSS) More images and the forecast track are in our slideshow
below.

Hurricane Ida attained Category 2 status on Sunday packing winds of 100 mph. The surprisingly resilient storm has moved into the Gulf of Mexico and the latest forecast tracks put much of the United States Gulf Coast at risk from the storm.

• Tracker: Follow Hurricane Ida's path with our hurricane tracker

Officials at the National Hurricane Center have begun issuing Hurricane Watches for much of the Gulf Coast from Louisiana to Florida in advance of the storm. The new watch area extends from Grand Isle, Louisiana across the Gulf Coasts of Mississippi and Alabama to Mexico Beach, Florida. The watch indicates that hurricane conditions are possible within the next 36 hours.

• Video:Hurricane Ida attains Category 2 status - Satellite animations
• Slideshow: Hurricane Ida's forecast paths and satellite imagery
• Complete coverage:  All the latest hurricane & tropical storm news from Examiner.com

In Mexico, a Hurricane Warning remains in effect for the Yucatan Peninsula from Playa Del Carmen to Cabo Catoche. A watch is in effect from Tulum to Playa Del Carmen. The resort city of Cancun was spared a direct hit from Ida but was weathering rain downpours of up to 10 inches. An estimated 36,000 tourists are in the city. Cruise ships with planned port visits in the area are being rerouted around the hurricane and to alternate ports.

The forecast path for Hurricane Ida.  A larger map and more
images are in our slideshow below. (Stormpulse)

Hurricane Ida is currently 100 miles north-northeast of Cozumel, Mexico and 75 miles west of the western tip of Cuba. Moving at 20 mph toward the northwest, the storm is forecast to turn toward the north-northwest and increase speed. With current wind speeds near 100 mph, Ida is a Category 2 storm and some additional strengthening is forecast.

The storm has proven to be a bit of a match for forecasters trying to determine the storms exact path. As recently as yesterday the storm was never thought to be much of a threat to the Gulf Coast but that has changed today. The storm has proven surprisingly resilient despite a pass over Nicaragua and Honduras and its encounter with cooler waters as it moves north.

The National Hurricane Center’s latest forecast track puts the storm passing off the coast of Grand Isle and New Orleans, Louisiana Monday evening before taking a sharp turn to the east. The center’s forecast predicts the storm will weaken quickly to extratropical status, follow just off the coast of Mississippi and Alabana before coming ashore Tuesday morning in the Florida panhandle.

Rains will be increasing along the central and eastern Gulf Coast as Ida approaches. Monday and Tuesday the rains will become heavier with total accumulations of 3 to 5 inches possible and up to 8 inches in isolated areas. Dangerous storm surge, rip currents and waves are a threat along the affected area.