Astronauts Share Terrifying Pics Of Hurricane Ida From Space As It Hits USA

Hurricane Ida is currently wreaking havoc in the United States after intensifying into a Category 4 storm on August 29.

Astronauts stationed in space got a peek at the powerful storm and shared freakish images of Hurricane Ida. NASA's Megan McArthur took a series of images on Saturday before while the storm was less strong and in Category 3.

NASA/McArthur

McArthur's images show a gigantic storm brewing across the Gulf of Mexico as it touched the coast of US state of Louisiana, where it is currently causing power outages.

While sharing the image on Twitter, McArthur added a message of safety: "If you are/have been in its path, I'm thinking of you and hoping you stay safe", she wrote.

Another astronaut who is famous for his shots of Earth from space snapped similar images of Hurricane Ida from the International Space Station.

#HurricaneIda from @Space_Station just before noon CDT today. If you are/have been in its path, I¡¯m thinking of you and hoping you stay safe. pic.twitter.com/C2fEJ3AxOh

¡ª Megan McArthur (@Astro_Megan) August 28, 2021

Frenchman Thomas Pesquet from the European Space Agency shares the ISS with six astronauts - three from the US, two from Russia, and one from Japan.

ESA/Thomas Pesquet

Pesquet has shed light on the intensity of such events increasing everyday due to climate change on multiple occasions and let out a similar response after sharing the image.

The eye of #HurricaneIda. It¡¯s worrying to see these weather phenomena becoming stronger & more frequent from our vantage point. I hope anyone in the path of this storm will be prepared & stay safe. pic.twitter.com/kUWzWXtmqs

¡ª Thomas Pesquet (@Thom_astro) August 29, 2021

Also read: Astronaut Clicks Epic Images Of Earth's Aurora From Space Like Never Before

"It's worrying to see these weather phenomena becoming stronger & more frequent from our vantage point", he wrote on Twitter, while urging everyone to stay safe.

The last time a Category 4 storm hit Louisiana, the state was completely decimated.

NASA/McArthur

16 years ago, Hurricane Katrina devastated entire regions of the state with its extremely powerful winds accompanied by rain.

Owing to the strong storm, NASA has temporarily shut down its Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, where the space agency manufactures paraphernalia for new Space Launch System rocket.

NASA/McArthur

Also read: SpaceX's Starlink Satellites Cause 1,600 Near-Crashes In Orbit Per Week

The city of New Orleans has witnessed a massive power cut owing to the storm. According to the US National Hurricane Center, Ida poses a serious threat to all civilisation in its way. The hurricane is the first to make landfall in the US this year.

NASA/McArthur

In fact, the New York Times reported that New Orleans has ordered a mandatory evacuation of all of residents that are currently not covered under its levee system, which is built to prevent flooding.

For more pictures from Hurricane Ida, keep visiting Indiatimes.com for your latest dose of science and technology news updates.