Hurricane Ida: By the Numbers

Here are some of the records and statistics associated with Hurricane Ida:

• The storm was the 5th most intense hurricane to strike the United States behind the Labor Day Hurricane (1935), Hurricane Camille (1969), Hurricane Andrew (1992), and Hurricane Michael (2018).
• A sustained wind speed of 150 mph tied Hurricane Laura (2020) and the Last Island Hurricane (1856) as the strongest hurricane to strike Louisiana.
• A peak wind gust of 172 mph was measured from a ship moored at Port Fourchon, LA.
• It went through a period of rapid intensification, with the storm's central pressure dropping 56 millibars in 24-hours and the wind speeds increasing by 65 mph.
• Storm surge of over 10 feet inundated much of the low-lying Louisiana coast and along the banks of the Mississippi River and Lake Pontchartrain. Surge levels were high enough to overtop local levee systems. As the surge pushed onshore, the Mississippi River flowed opposite its normal direction.
• While most hurricanes weaken after making landfall, Ida remained a major (Cat 3 or higher) hurricane for nine hours.