Hurricanes, Weather, Climate, and Pandemic

Will Hurricane Ida Become a COVID-19 Super-Spreader Event?

Hurricane Ida has the potential to ravage Louisiana. In addition, it may compound the effects of a low COVID-19 vaccination rate and a high COVID-19 infection rate in the Bayou State.

Hurricane. Photo courtesy of NASA on Unsplash.

“Hurricane Katrina brought a city, a state and the Bush 43rd Administration to its knees because all levels of government were unprepared for the sheer magnitude of the event.”― J.C. Phillips

I write this story as Hurricane Ida is about to slam into the shore of the US state of Louisiana. Moving north through the Gulf of Mexico at 15 mph (24 kph), the Category 4 storm may pack sustained winds of over 150 mph (241 kph). Residents in the eastern part of the state, where the hurricane is expected to make landfall, can expect widespread devastation.

Wind speed probabilities on the US Gulf Coast. Courtesy of the US National Weather Service.