EMA eyeing Ida’s path

By Stephanie Nelson (Contact) | Andalusia Star-News

Published Saturday, November 7, 2009

By Monday, forecasters should know which path the now-Tropical Depression Ida will take as the storm makes its way into the Gulf of Mexico.

Susan Carpenter, the county’s emergency management agency director, said national weather officials have predicted the storm’s path “with 20 different directions.”

“Right now, we’re just waiting for the storm to pass over the islands and get closer to us,” Carpenter said. “It should be in the south central Gulf by Monday, and by then, we can tell more of the direction.”

The National Hurricane Center currently has Ida moving over eastern Honduras, and as the storm makes progress it will have residents from Florida to Louisiana feeling winds within the next 120 hours.

“We are expecting some rain on Monday and Tuesday, but that’s not from Ida,” Carpenter said. “That’s from another system.”

This has been a very mild hurricane season; however, Carpenter said this storm is “proof positive” why residents should remain prepared throughout the entire hurricane season.

“The season ends Nov. 30,” she said. “November is typically less active for us because of the water temperatures in the Gulf, but that doesn’t mean we should let our guard down. You should be prepared anytime, because you never know what will happen, and the weather can change quickly.”