HOUSTON—U.S. energy companies on Thursday began airlifting workers from Gulf of Mexico oil platforms and moved vessels ahead of what is forecast to become a powerful hurricane by the weekend. Tropical Storm Ida was swirling in the Caribbean Sea and forecast to march through the main oil-producing region of the Gulf on Friday. Louisiana declared a state of emergency and called on residents to prepare for a major hurricane. Ida is expected to strike the central Gulf Coast with a life-threatening storm surge, damaging winds and heavy rains, the National Hurricane Center said. It could make landfall as a category 3 hurricane packing winds of up to 111 miles (178 km) per hour. Rapid Intensity “This storm has the potential for rapid increases in intensity before it comes ashore” because of extremely warm waters off Louisiana, said Jim Foerster, chief meteorologist at DTN, which provides weather advice to oil and …