Officials warn Ida could be 'life-altering' storm

Louisiana officials say Hurricane Ida is intensifying quickly and could be a Category Four hurricane when it hits the southeast Louisiana coast sometime on Sunday.

Gov. John Bel Edwards has declared an emergency for all of Louisiana. And New Orleans Mayor Latoya Cantrell has ordered people outside the city's levee protection system to evacuate.

Ben Schott with the National Weather Service said at a Friday afternoon briefing that winds could top 170 miles per hour in gusts along the coast. He says it will be "life-altering" for people who aren't prepared.

Ida arrives at the doorstep of a region transformed since 2005 by a giant civil works project and closer attention to flood control.

The federal government spent $14.5 billion on levees and other infrastructure that enhances protection in New Orleans and surrounding areas.

Rainfall must be pumped out from inside the ring of levees. Some federal work has increased drainage capacity, but the city still struggles with an old pump system and often clogged drains.

Areas outside the levee system protects may have little or no protection against storm surge.

IMAGE: AP