Now a major hurricane, Ida closes in on Louisiana landfall

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Hurricane Ida was crossing the Gulf of Mexico as a major hurricane early Sunday, on track for a potentially devastating landfall on the Louisiana coast while emergency officials in the region grappled with opening shelters for displaced evacuees despite the risks of spreading the coronavirus. The National Hurricane Center predicted Ida could be an extremely dangerous Category 4 hurricane with 130 mph (209 kph) winds when it makes an expected afternoon landfall. The storm arriv