Tropical Storm Ida puts eyes on Gulf

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

Meteorologists predict that the storm — now named Tropical Storm Ida — will become a hurricane after passing over the Gulf ’s warm waters. Models are showing a powerful storm — but suggest it may stay east of the Houston-Galveston area, making landfall in Louisiana on Sunday.

“We are hopeful that the weather will spare us,” Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said. “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.”

The National Hurricane Center expected Ida to pass near the Cayman Islands on 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 majorhurricane strength when it approaches the Gulf Coast, meaning

it could be a Category 3 or higher with winds of at least 111 mph.

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

“We’re talking about 4 to 8 inches of rain over western and central Tennessee here, the place that was slammed with a killer flood just a few days ago,” Dan Kottlowski, lead hurricane forecaster for AccuWeather, said during a media briefing.

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 the National Weather Service’s Houston/Galveston office.

Houston-area emergency responders were paying close attention to the updated forecasts, as they fueled rescue boats and highwater vehicles. Houston leaders encouraged residents to prepare hurricane kits and sign up for Alert Houston notifications.

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

“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 of the region, 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.

In typical Houston fashion, 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.