Tropical storm Ida upgrades to hurricane, expected to hit US Gulf Coast

Tropical storm Ida upgraded to a hurricane on Friday before making landfall in Cuba and is projected to hit the U.S. Gulf Coast by Sunday.

The National Hurricane Center announced Ida was upgraded to a hurricane with winds of 75 miles per hour.

Ida made landfall early Friday afternoon in Cuba’s Isle of Youth with the center of the Hurricane currently approaching western Cuba, according to the NHC.

The hurricane conditions could cause flooding and mudslides in Jamaica, the Caymen Islands and western Cuba.

Hurricane warnings have been issued for some parts of the northern Gulf Coast as the U.S. braces for the hurricane to move towards Louisiana. 

The NHC says Mississippi and Louisiana be hit by the storm on Sunday and see flooding “10 to 15 feet above ground level.” 

“Now is the time for Louisianans to prepare for impacts from Tropical Storm Ida, which is expected to become a major hurricane,” Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards (D) tweeted Thursday. 

“What you’re gonna see … in all likelihood is rapid intensification,” he added. “So if you just look out there right now, and you assess the storm as it is, you may not be impressed. Understand that the hurricane center and the meteorologists are very concerned about its storm.”

Forecasters predicted earlier Ida could become a Category 2 hurricane over the weekend, although it is currently a Category 1.

The NHC said Ida will be “an extremely dangerous major hurricane” when it makes it to the U.S.