Ida slammed into the Louisiana coast as a Category 4 storm, and was downgraded to a Category 3 by evening -- the same strength Katrina was when it came ashore in 2005.
"Ida is a dangerous category 3 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. Rapid weakening is expected during the next day or so, however, Ida is forecast to remain a hurricane through late tonight," the National Hurricane Center wrote in an advisory.
The NHC also warned that the storm surge would create a "life-threatening situation" and urged residents in affected areas to "take all necessary actions to protect life and property."
As of 7:00 pm, Ida was packing maximum sustained winds of 120 miles (195 kilometers) per hour, slightly slower than when it made landfall at Port Fourchon, Louisiana, approximately 100 miles (160 kilometers) south of New Orleans.
Storm surges flooded the town of Grand Isle, on a barrier island south of New Orleans, and low-lying highways in the area were covered in water.
Extensive and long-lasting power outages are expected, with more than 700,000 homes without electricity by evening, according to the website poweroutage.us.
Amid urgent warnings of catastrophic damage, most residents had heeded authorities' instructions to flee. Scores of people packed bumper-to-bumper roads leading out of New Orleans in the days preceding Ida's arrival.
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