Hurricane Ida begins to weaken as it moves inland: Track storm's location

Diane Pantaleo
USA TODAY Network

Hurricane Ida made landfall as a Category 4 storm early Sunday afternoon and began its slow trek inland.

After the storm made landfall with sustained winds of 150 mph, meteorologists reported in the 4 p.m. National Weather Service update that "rapid weakening is expected during the next day or so." 

As of the 7 p.m. Central advisory from the National Hurricane Center, Hurricane Ida was about 25 miles west-southwest of New Orleans. The hurricane has sustained winds of 120 mph, and is now a Category 3 storm. 

Hurricane-force winds extend 45 miles from the center and tropical storm-force winds extend 150 miles from the center.

On Monday, Ida is forecast to turn northeast and track across the middle Tennessee Valley. Coastal Alabama could see 5 to 10 inches of rain through Tuesday, while 3 to 6 inches of rain is forecast for further inland. 

Considerable flash flooding is possible from the lower Mississippi Valley into western Alabama, according to the NHC. 

State of emergency:Hurricane Ida: Gov. Ivey declares state of emergency in coastal, western Alabama counties

Cone of uncertainty: See the latest graphic from the NHC

Satellite images: See latest satellite image from NOAA, for a clearer picture of the storm's size

Latest data on Hurricane Ida

Here is the latest data on Hurricane Ida pulled from the National Hurricane Center’s 7:00 PM CDT Sun Aug 29 2021 advisory.

  • Location: 25 miles west-southwest of New Orleans
  • Maximum sustained winds: 120 mph
  • Movement: Northwest at 10 mph
  • Pressure: 944 MB (millibars)
  • When next advisory will be released: Next complete advisory at 10:00 PM CDT.

Watches and warnings

  • A Storm Surge Warning is in effect for... 
    • Morgan City Louisiana to the Alabama/Florida border
    • Lake Borgne, Lake Pontchartrain, Lake Maurepas, and Mobile Bay
  • A Hurricane Warning is in effect for... 
    • Morgan City Louisiana to the Mouth of the Pearl River
    • Lake Pontchartrain, Lake Maurepas, and Metropolitan New Orleans
  • A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for... 
    • Lake Pontchartrain, Lake Maurepas, and Metropolitan New Orleans
    • Mouth of the Pearl River to the Alabama/Florida border

Spaghetti models: Track Hurricane Ida