Ida strengthened into a hurricane Friday afternoon as Gulf Coast states prepared for a direct hit from the storm, which forecasters warn could rapidly intensify into one of the strongest storms of the Atlantic hurricane season so far. The New Orleans area is under a hurricane warning after the National Hurricane Center on Friday afternoon issued hurricane and storm surge warnings for portions of the Gulf Coast. Ida was forecast to reach Category 4 strength, with winds estimated at 140 mph, before it makes landfall Sunday afternoon or evening, the National Hurricane Center said. New Orleans issued mandatory evacuations for coastal communities outside the city's levee system, which protects from flooding. The city's mayor, LaToya Cantrell, ordered those in coastal communities bordering both Lake Borgne and Lake Pontchartrain – two large bodies of water that connect to the Gulf of Mexico – to leave immediately. The storm is shaping up to be "probably be the strongest storm of the season thus far,” AccuWeather senior meteorologist Dan Kottlowski said Thursday. Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards declared a state of emergency Thursday evening due to the potential impacts from Ida. Multiple locations along Louisiana's coast also began issuing evacuation orders on Friday, including Port Fourchon and Grand Isle. Officials warned they plan to close floodgates Saturday afternoon on two highways near New Orleans, increasing the sense of urgency for those planning to flee. 📸 @apnews #hurricane #weather #louisiana #neworleans