Ida could be devastating Cat 3 hurricane near New Orleans

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Forecasters now say Tropical Storm Ida could be a major Category 3 hurricane with top winds of 115 mph when it nears the U.S. coast.

The National Hurricane Center says Ida is showing hallmarks of a rare, rapidly intensifying storm that could speed across warm Gulf waters after hitting Cuba on Friday and slam into Louisiana on Sunday. Category 3 hurricanes can cause devastating damage. Climate scientist Jim Kossin says it’s headed straight towards New Orleans.

Gov. John Bel Edwards has declared an emergency for all of Louisiana and says people should be in safe places to ride out the storm by Saturday night.

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