Eyes on Gulf as Tropical Storm Ida strengthens

Four years after Hurricane Harvey drenched the Houston area, leading to catastrophic flooding, forecasters this week cast a wary eye to the Caribbean Sea and a brewing storm system that was pushing its way toward the Gulf of Mexico.

Meteorologists were predicting that the storm — later named Tropical Storm Ida — would become a hurricane after passing over the Gulf’s warm waters. Houston and Harris County officials began dusting off hurricane preparedness plans.

On Thursday evening, models were still showing a powerful storm — but they suggested it would stay east of the Houstongalveston area, making landfall in Louisiana on Sunday.

“We are hopeful that the weather will spare us,” Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said during a news conference. “The projections show it going farther east. But even if it does (spare us), we have to remember that it’s hurricane season. … We live in a region that is vulnerable to tropical storms and hurricanes, so we have to prepare. And this year there’s a fourth point: Get your vaccine because you don’t want to end up in a shelter and not be vaccinated.”

As of 4 p.m. Thursday, the National Hurricane Center said the center of Ida was expected to pass near or over the Cayman Islands Thursday night, the Isle of Youth and western Cuba on Friday and then over the southeastern and central Gulf of Mexico on Friday night and Saturday. It was expected to approach the Gulf

Coast on Sunday.

Ida could be nearing major-hurricane strength when it approaches the Gulf Coast. A major hurricane is Category 3 or higher, with winds of at least 111 mph.

The tropical storm could make landfall in Louisiana and then travel north toward Tennessee, which suffered deadly rains this past weekend.

Although Southeast Texas should avoid more direct impacts, the region could still see elevated seas, tides and rip currents. Minor coastal flooding is possible, according to a Thursday morning update from the National Weather Service’s Houston/galveston office.

Houston-area emergency responders were paying close attention to the updated forecasts Thursday. Harris County agencies were making sure rescue boats and high-water vehicles

had fuel and were ready to deploy. Houston encouraged residents to prepare hurricane kits and sign up for Alerthouston notifications.

The city of Galveston’s municipal services department began executing its pre-storm management plan, which included collecting loose debris that could get caught in a drain and slow drainage. Galveston County preparations included ensuring the floodgates in Texas City could be closed quickly should the storm turn toward the Houston area.

Remain vigilant

“We’ve been holding internal calls with our staff and our departments, making sure we have everything in place if we do need to activate,” said Zach Davidson, communications director for Galveston County. “We’re still watching that storm like a hawk, seeing where that cone sets up and where it’s going to go.”

Ida’s emergence came four years after Hurricane Harvey made landfall in Texas on Aug. 25, 2017. Harvey in the ensuing days dropped as much as 60 inches of rain on some parts, leading to massive flooding and three dozen deaths in Harris County alone. Three years later, the Houston region was spared by Laura, a Category 4 hurricane that made landfall in Cameron, La. on Aug. 27, 2020.

Thomas Munoz, deputy director of the city of Houston’s Office of Emergency Management, started his job at the emergency center Monday and already was preparing for a potential storm.

He was staying focused despite forecasts moving the storm to the east.

“We’re still not letting our guard down,” he said.