ATLANTA (CBS46) — Louisiana residents are looking for shelter in metro Atlanta forward of Hurricane Ida’s predicted landfall within the Bayou State.
Shalonda Spencer stated the dire warnings from forecasters in New Orleans was greater than sufficient to persuade her to go away city instantly. Spencer and her mother arrived at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Worldwide Airport late Friday.
“Hazard is coming. So, we needed to run,” Spencer stated. “New Orleans, , we’re principally simply sitting in a bowl.”
Ida is predicted to make landfall over the Louisiana coast late Sunday as a Category 4 hurricane with 140 mph winds. The storm is predicted to hit on the 16th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.
“A Class 4, the most effective factor it’s best to do is evacuate,” Spencer stated. “If Katrina taught us something it ought to’ve taught us to be protected.”
Spencer vividly remembers Hurricane Katrina. Her mother’s house sits within the Decrease Ninth Ward neighborhood of New Orleans, which was one of many hardest hit areas in the course of the lethal 2005 storm.
“It was very traumatic for us as a result of it was arduous to search out her,” she recalled. Communications have been down. The strains have been down. So, it was arduous to maintain in touch with your loved ones members. So, this time we made certain we’re collectively and we evacuated.
Main airways issued journey advisories forward of the storm. Atlanta-based Delta Airways introduced it was capping fares and waiving rebooking fees for impacted vacationers. American Airways additionally added reduced last-minute flights within the path of Hurricane Ida.
“Lots of people are cussed. Lots of people are nonetheless saying, ‘I’m going to experience it out,’” Spencer stated.
Whereas she and her mother discover consolation with household in Atlanta, Spencer stated her ideas are with New Orleans and her house state of Louisiana.
“As a result of we nonetheless have some members of the family which can be there,” she stated. “You’ll be able to’t pressure individuals to go away.”
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