The US is preparing for Hurricane "Ida".
On the night of Sunday, “Ida” continued to gain strength over the sea.
The storm is expected to hit land in the next few hours.
New Orleans - The force with which Hurricane “Ida” will hit land is still unclear at first.
The Air Force hurricane fighters updated data on the hurricane on Sunday morning.
But weather experts warn of an "extremely dangerous hurricane".
Hurricane "Ida" traveling at more than 209 km / h
"'Ida' continues to intensify rapidly this morning and is now a Category 4 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 130 mph," tweeted the National Hurricane Center (NHC).
130 mph corresponds to wind speeds of more than 209 kilometers per hour and usually triggers "catastrophic destruction".
New Orleans would have to reckon with heavy rain and a "life-threatening storm surge", catastrophic gusts of wind and long-lasting power outages, warns the NHC.
The regions hit could become uninhabitable for weeks.
The civil protection agency Fema has already brought 500 emergency services as well as 1.6 million liters of drinking water, a million meals and generators to the region, said the White House.
The coast guard brought 18 helicopters and numerous boats into position for rescue operations.
New Orleans Airport canceled all scheduled flights for Sunday.
Local public transport in the city was stopped on Saturday evening.
When will Hurricane "Ida" hit land?
According to the forecasts, "Ida" will land on Sunday afternoon or evening (local time) in Louisiana.
Winds with tropical gale force could hit New Orleans and the surrounding area on Sunday morning.
That would be exactly 16 years to the day after the arrival of the devastating hurricane "Katrina", which caused catastrophic damage and floods in and around New Orleans.
Around 1,800 people were killed at that time.
Since then, billions have been invested in flood protection in the region.
"August 29th is an important date in history here," Collin Arnold, director of the New Orleans Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, told CNN on Saturday.
"A lot of people remember what happened 16 years ago."
Governor Edwards warned on Saturday that "Ida" would be one of the strongest storms since 1850 when it hits Louisiana.
All citizens should be in a safe place by evening (local time).
The first storms can be expected from Sunday morning.
2:00 AM CDT August 29 - Data from an Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunter aircraft indicates that #Ida continues to rapidly intensify this morning and is now a Category 4 Hurricane, with maximum sustained winds of 130 mph.
Latest at https: // t.co/tW4KeGdBFb pic.twitter.com/EFwoHG5wYz
- National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) August 29, 2021
Hurricane "Ida" - Time is running out
On parts of the Louisiana coast, west of New Orleans, a "life-threatening" storm surge of up to 4.5 meters in height is to be expected, the NHC warned.
At Lake Borgne a good three meters can be expected, at Lake Pontchartrain a good two meters.
Flood warnings also applied to the west of the neighboring state of Mississippi.
Because of the rapidly approaching storm, there was no time to order a compulsory evacuation of the entire city of New Orleans, said Mayor LaToya Cantrell.
She therefore only ordered the evacuation of particularly endangered areas that lie outside the dams.
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