Axios

National Weather Service meteorologists and others expressed fear and alarm Sunday at the "monster" Hurricane Ida became overnight as it churned toward Louisiana.

What they're saying: "As meteorologists at the National Weather Service Slidell office, we can't bear to see this on satellite," the NWS New Orleans tweeted Sunday morning. "We have hard times ahead, but we will all persevere. Take all messages we, public officials and broadcast media are saying SERIOUSLY. "

Hurricane Ida strengthened into an "extremely dangerous" Category 4 storm and was "still intensifying," packing maximum sustained winds of 150 mph with higher gusts as it neared Louisiana on Sunday morning, the National Hurricane Center said.

Why it matters: Ida is expected to hit southeastern Louisiana as a Category 4 storm later Sunday. "Life-threatening storm surge, potentially catastrophic wind damage, and flooding" from its heavy rains "will impact" parts of the northern Gulf Coast, starting Sunday morning, the NHC said.

President Biden and officials are calling on Gulf Coast residents to urgently finalize preparations for Hurricane Ida ahead of its expected landfall in Louisiana as an "extremely dangerous" Category 4 storm on Sunday.

Driving the news: Thousands of residents had already left Saturday, as Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards (D) said at a news briefing that the "window of time" for hurricane preparation was "rapidly closing" as the weather would "deteriorate very quickly" Sunday.

With no time left to properly evacuate, New Orleans residents should prepare to ride out Hurricane Ida at home, Mayor LaToya Cantrell said Friday.

Why it matters: The hurricane is forecast to hit the central Louisiana coast as a potentially catastrophic Category 4 storm.