LAKE CHARLES (United States), Oct 10 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Hurricane Delta made landfall on the Louisiana coast, packing ferocious winds and a
“life-threatening” storm surge — and driving out residents still rebuilding
from a devastating storm less than two months ago.
Delta became the 10th named storm of the year to make US landfall, a
record, meteorologists said.
It roared ashore near Creole, Louisiana as a Category 2 storm on a scale
of five, with winds of 100 miles per hour (155 kilometers per hour), the
National Hurricane Center said.
“Damaging winds and a life-threatening storm surge continue over portions
of southern Louisiana,” the Miami-based center said, adding that one
monitoring site was reporting a storm surge of eight feet (2.4 meters) above
ground.
The storm — which the NHC said quickly weakened to a Category 1 as it
moved inland — caused widespread power outages in the state.
In Lake Charles, a city in southwest Louisiana that was hit hard by
Hurricane Laura on August 20, the streets were deserted Friday as a steady
rain fell ahead of Delta’s arrival.
The city is still in disarray from the more powerful Laura, which was a
Category 4 and ripped roofs off houses and uprooted trees. Streets are still
littered with debris.
Earlier, Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards announced that 2,400 National Guard personnel had been mobilized to aid locals.
Hurricane Delta will hit “in the area of our state that is least prepared
to take it,” he said.
Edwards has already warned that Delta could sweep up old debris and hurl
it like missiles.
Traffic was jammed Thursday as people left Lake Charles.
The storm toppled trees and tore down power lines in Mexico’s Yucatan
Peninsula Wednesday as it swept over the western Gulf of Mexico. But the
region escaped major destruction and no deaths were reported.
Delta is the 26th named storm of an unusually active Atlantic hurricane
season.
As the ocean surface warms due to climate change, hurricanes become more powerful. Scientists say there will likely be an increase in powerful
Category 4 and 5 storms. — NNN-AGENCIES
