Ida aims to hit New Orleans on Hurricane Katrina anniversary

By KEVIN McGILL and JANET McCONNAUGHEY Associated Press

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — New Orleans Mayor Latoya Cantrell has ordered people outside the city's levee protection system to evacuate.

Forecasters say Ida made landfall in Cuba as a hurricane and could grow to a devastating Category 3 storm with top winds of 120 mph when it nears the U.S. coast.

The National Hurricane Center says Ida already has top winds of 75 mph and should rapidly intensify as it speeds across warm Gulf waters and slam into Louisiana on Sunday.

Climate scientist Jim Kossin says it's headed straight towards New Orleans.

Gov. John Bel Edwards has declared an emergency for all of Louisiana.