Bottom Line
Confidence is high that Ida will make landfall along the Louisiana coastline late Sunday (likely as a Major Hurricane), so impacts to Southeast Texas are expected to be limited to minimal marine hazards.
Overview
Tropical Storm Ida is moving through the Caribbean and is expected to make landfall in western Cuba later today. It will then track northwest through the Gulf of Mexico through the weekend. Conditions are very favorable to further strengthening of Ida, and is expected to become a Hurricane by Saturday afternoon in the southern Gulf, and then into a Major Hurricane before making landfall likely along the Louisiana coastline late Sunday. Since Ida will be tracking east of our region, we are expecting minimal impacts confined to the coastal waters.
Impacts include:
- Strong rip currents along Gulf facing beaches as early as Sunday afternoon and continuing through Monday
- Elevated tides of 2.8 to 3.5ft above MLLW during times of high tide Sunday and Sunday night.
- Wave heights of 6 to 9 ft Sunday afternoon through Monday morning
- Sustained winds of 15 to 20 kts with gusts up to 25 kts are possible across the offshore waters starting Sunday evening with improving conditions on Monday.
