When will Tropical Storm Ida arrive in US? Here are the regions it could impact
It has just been days since the disastrous onslaught of Hurricane Henri, and another tropical storm is already looming near the Central Gulf Coast. According to the latest weather forecast, Tropical Storm Ida is already forming over the Atlantic and will soon make landfall on late Sunday or early Monday, August 29-30, 2021. Ida is going to be the ninth major storm in the 2021 Atlantic storm season. It started off as a disorganized cluster of scattered showers and thunderstorms but has slowly gathered strength over the past few days. National Hurricane Center (NHC) has currently designated Ida as a Tropical Depression Nine.
The past week has been calamitous for many regions in America with hurricanes, flash floods and thunderstorms causing many casualties. Over 21 people died and over 50 are still missing from the flash floods in Tennessee, which claimed the lives of 11-month-old twins Ryan and Rileigh among many others. In the case of Ida, the tropical storm is already nearing landfall in the Cayman Islands and parts of Cuba, where Tropical Storm warnings have been strictly enforced.
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As per reports on August 26, Tropical Storm Ida is fast approaching the northwest regions of USA, at a speech of 14 mph. It has sustained winds up to a speed of 40 mph. Latest reports reveal that the storm was 100 miles west-southwest of Negril, Jamaica, and 130 miles southeast of Cayman Islands.
US Air Force's hurricane hunters are already investigating the storm closely as it continues gathering strength over the Caribbean Sea. It is likely to take a path through the Central Gulf of Mexico before making landfall in southern Mexico or anywhere in western and central US Gulf Coast. Similar to the nature of Hurricane Michael in 2018, or Hurricane Laura in 2020, Ida is rapidly intensifying over Florida and Louisiana. "Unfortunately, it just seems like it's making a beeline toward the Louisiana coast," said AccuWeather meteorologist Bernie Rayno.
Warnings have already been issued for residents and business owners in the regions between the Texas coast to Louisiana, as well as the panhandles of Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida. It is being predicted that rough seas will be seen between the south-central Gulf to the northwest, north-central and northeastern parts of the Gulf Coast. The first rain bands are likely to arrive on late Saturday night or early Sunday morning. Forecasters will be able to predict with more accuracy and precision after observing the storm's behavior in the Northwestern Caribbean. Only in August 2021, four tropical storms, namely Danny, Elsa, Fred, and Henri, have already affected parts of USA massively, and Ida is likely to be the latest addition to the list.