NEW ORLEANS – Hurricane Ida continues to slowly creep north, through the Gulf of Mexico and toward the southern coast of Louisiana.
The storm is expected to strengthen as it moves across warmer water.
Its projected path has Hurricane Ida making landfall near New Orleans Sunday night, and for that reason, residents have been busy preparing as best they can.
“We need to make sure that you re in a safe place everyone,” said New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell.
The familiar signs of a pending storm are showing up in New Orleans, from businesses being boarded up to heavy traffic delays coming with locals choosing not to weather the storm and evacuate.
“I am trying to rent a car and get out of here,” said vacationer Nicole Bronner. “I tried to catch a plane back, but they didn’t have any flight available.”
Bronner told Local 10 News’ Roy Ramos she just arrived in Louisiana for an air show, but her plans quickly changed.
Mayor Cantrell called for a voluntary evacuation on Friday, and many have heeded the warning.
“Prepare yourselves,” she said. “If you are going to leave, you need to do that now.”
While many chose to leave before Hurricane Ida’s arrival, others are questioning their decision to stay behind.