New Orleans orders evacuations as Hurricane Ida closes in: Latest forecast

Ida, which became a Category 1 hurricane Friday afternoon, is forecast to strengthen into a Category 4 hurricane before landfall in Louisiana late Sunday. New Orleans will begin to see high winds as early as Saturday night, Mayor LaToya Cantrell said at a Friday news conference, warning that the storm presents a “dramatic threat” to the city. Mandatory evacuations, for areas outside the levees, were ordered south of New Orleans, effective 3 p.m. local time Friday.