Out of Hurricane Ida predicted to
be a category four when it hits
Louisiana tomorrow afternoon.
The storm gathering strength right
now and forcing evacuations in
New Orleans just before the 16th
anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.
We have live team coverage spread
out from New Orleans to the
Bucky's off of I10 in Baytown.
As evacuees start arriving here.
But let's start out with meteorologist
Addison Greene and Addison so
where is Ida right now German,
we have Hurricane Ida about 300 miles or so.
Offshore of the Louisiana coastline,
it's moving towards that codes that are
relative forward speed about 16 mph,
so she is moving at a pretty steady pace,
but before it reaches its landfall
is expected to increase in strength,
going from a category two now to
eventually a category four hurricane,
which would make it a major hurricane.
Category. Three starts off at
the major scale right there.
We do have widespread warnings up across the
city of New Orleans and southern Louisiana.
Tropical Storm force warnings are
further inland, and we had that
potential landfall coming on it.
During the early afternoon hours on Sunday,
just southwest of the city of New Orleans,
which would put it in The
Dirty side of the storm,
gained the worst.
The storm system has to offer with
at least sustained winds of 130 mph,
though there will be gusts certainly
running higher than that,
maybe 150 a 160 mph,
and we're going to have the eye of
the storm go right over the city
of Houma and then make its way
just north of the I10 corridor,
going in towards the capital of Baton Rouge,
possibly weakening by that time frame.
Late Monday,
late Sunday night into Monday morning.
Just say.
As a weak category,
one storm surge will be a big concern
as well as the amount of rain coming
on and I'll break down all those
details in just a few minutes as well
as get into that Houston forecast.
All
right, we'll see you in a couple of minutes.
Thank you Addison, and traffic has
been a mess all day long and I10 as
people leave New Orleans and other
parts of Louisiana ahead of the storm
and you can see on this driving shot.
Traffic backed up for miles.
For those who remember Katrina
and read it in particular,
this is an unhappily familiar sight.
And check this out things not
much better at the airport.
In New Orleans,
look at those crowds folks telling us
there isn't enough TSA staff at the
airport to accommodate all the travelers.
Let's get out to Xavier Walton
live in New Orleans and savor.
This is always a debate ahead of
a big storm and time's running
out for people to decide whether
they're going to go or stay.
And you know what shirt men
some would argue that time
has already run out.
We are here in the French Quarter.
You can see some businesses
boarded up and then also you
got the sandbags here as well.
But you just showed that video and
we're gonna get back to that because
that is one of the big stories
here today as people make that
decision whether to stay or to go.
So as you can see here I10 completely
backed up moving extremely slow.
A ton of people just deciding to leave
and that site and really all day long.
And then there's this.
People who are staying
people who are boarding up.
But even as you start to see some
of these images, you know what.
There's really not a ton of fear.
Ida isn't intimidating a lot of the
folks that we have talked to here today,
and it's not that these folks
aren't taking Ida seriously.
It's more so that they've just accepted
the fact a category four hurricane is
going to strike Southeastern Louisiana,
and I keep hearing whatever is
going to happen is going to happen.
Here's a father and son who were concerned
that board that are boarding up their
business before the storm.
Yeah, of course.
I'm very concerned I
evacuated for Katrina man,
yes I did because I have small kids.
Then when my kids are now growing.
But now you know, we know we'll
still run and ride it out.
So that gentleman said that
boarding up was his way of
preserving the communities culture.
Meantime, tonight we're actually
going to hear from a family who
decided it wasn't worth the
risk they packed up their bags,
their suburban, and left at 4:00 AM,
along with a lot of other families,
were live here in New Orleans.
I'll send it back to you all,
right, thanks Saveur.
Some of those folks deciding to leave
that may be based on some bitter
heart experience. Thanks a bunch.
Stay safe in New Orleans.
All right, let's jump back
outside for a traffic check.
This is I10. In Baton Rouge, LA,
heading east towards Houston and look at
that steady stream of cars headed our way.
Melissa Cray live at the
Bucky's off of I-10 in Baytown,
and that's one of the first stops
in Texas for Louisiana evacuees.
Hey there, certain man that's absolutely
right for a couple of reasons.
One because Bucky's has
things like ice and hot food,
and two because these pumps have fuel.
It's something that's in
short supply in Louisiana.
As you can see behind me,
this place has been nonstop and
everyone here has a story to tell.
Running on empty and fueled by the forecast
look like it's gonna really hit.
I didn't really want to
stay and take chances. You
can learn a lot about Louisiana and
this is blankets and pillows. And
this thing seems like my everything
in the time it takes to fill up.
We have two kids in the car,
they're both 12 months.
We really wanted to evacuate for them.
Teresa Johnson packed her car
at midnight diapers, wipes.
Food for them drove eight hours to
get to this Bucky's in Baytown before
heading into Houston to stay with family.
I'm hoping by Tuesday that she and
her neighbors, hopefully Tuesday.
Yeah, we'll be able to make
the drive home like best case.
Scenario is like power outages and some
like minor flooding in New Orleans.
Worst case I don't even want
to think of that.
Joseph Dancer can't help but
look back with Katrina came.
I went to Mississippi and
that was the worst thing.
I
ran right into it also.
So there's this.
I'm going to different well hotel in
Houston is home for the next few days.
Yeah I got luggage and everything in it
so yeah and a 1966 Gibson Classic attire,
Paul kind of makes you
wonder what everyones packed.
We don't want to change a gas
station near Houston overrun
by families leaving Louisiana.
I got a couple of friends back
at home that are staying and I
am a little worried for them.
The calm before this storm
driven by Texas hospitality.
And now we're headed to Austin.
We've got a couple of friends there,
so place to stay and the fact that we
too have been down that road before.
So if you're opening up your home
to friends or family coming in
from Louisiana, you're gonna want
to relay this message to them.
Both Louisiana and Texas State
troopers are reporting major backups,
even standstills along some sections of I10.
Westbound Sherman police are telling
people find an alternate route if you can,
but again, the concern this evening.
Fuel shortages along the state
line? Yeah, that's always a
problem in those evacuations.
When folks run out of fuel.
When the traffic is backed up alright,
low socrate thank you very much.
Lakewood Church preparing to help
hurricane evacuees coming to Houston.
The church will hold a two day
collection drive Monday and Tuesday
from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM at Lakewood.
They'll be collecting bottled water,
cleaning supplies, diapers, baby wipes.
Lakewood will also work with
their other partner churches to
distribute those supplies and aid. We
are preparing to help
the people coming from New
Orleans and Louisiana saw so
many of them evacuating today.
We just want them to know that
Lakewood is open if they need a
place to stay will accommodate
as many as we can safely.
Pastor Osteen as the church is also
preparing to shelter evacuees if need stay.
With KHRU 11 news for up to the
minute coverage on air and online at
khou.com and RKHOU 11 mobile app,
we have several livestreams.
The latest forecast code and as you saw,
traffic conditions at us and will of course
have another update later in our newscast.