Hurricane Ida, 'one of the strongest' to hit Gulf Coast since 1850s, comes on anniversary of Katrina

Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards is warning that Hurricane Ida will be "one of the strongest" since the 1850s.

He said that during a news briefing Saturday afternoon, while offering an update on the likely path of the storm, according to The Hill. 

"One of the things we were told today by the National Weather Service during our unified command group meeting is that they are extremely confident in the current track and the intensity as forecasted for Hurricane Ida. And you don't really hear them speaking very often about that level of confidence," Edwards said.

"So, we can sum it up by saying this will be one of the strongest hurricanes to hit anywhere in Louisiana since at least the 1850s," Edwards continued.

Hurricane Ida is currently a Category 2 hurricane, but it is predicted to strengthen to a Category 4 hurricane before it makes landfall on the U.S. Gulf Coast on Sunday. Residents of southern and southeastern have been warned by officials to evacuate ahead of the storm. 

"We can also tell you that your window of time is closing, it is rapidly closing," Edwards said. "By the time you go to bed tonight, you need to be where you intend to ride this storm out and you need to be prepared as you can be."

This weekend happens to be the 16th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, which killed over 1,800 people and left scars on the Gulf Coast that still exist.