The National Hurricane Center said Ida made landfall near Port Fourchon, Louisiana, at 16:55 GMT on Sunday as a powerful Category 4 hurricane. Louisiana Offshore Oil Port (LOOP), one of the largest crude terminals in the US, paused deliveries ahead of the storm, which brought winds of up to 240 kmph.
Located 29 km off Louisiana shores, LOOP is the only deepwater terminal in the US capable of offloading supertankers. According to Port Fourchon’s website, LOOP services 90% of deepwater oil production in the US Gulf of Mexico, handles about 10%-15% of US domestic oil and deals with 10% to 15% of the country’s oil imports.
Ports of Houma and New Orleans in southern Louisiana were closed on Sunday. Ports in Biloxi, Gulfport, and Pascagoula in Mississippi, as well as the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, which stretches from Texas to Florida, also suspended operations.
