The latest update issued by the US National Hurricane Center on Friday indicated that the powerful cyclone was moving at a pace of 14 mph and bringing with it 100-mph maximum sustained winds.
Texas and Louisiana began feeling the wind and water impact of Hurricane Delta earlier Friday, several hours before the storm’s arrival to land.
Nearly 10,000 Louisiana residents have taken refuge in shelters across the state, CBS News reported. Hurricane Delta’s impact comes just weeks after thousands of Louisianans and Texans were displaced by Hurricane Laura in late August.
“To the people of Southwest Louisiana, I know you are strong. I also know you’re about to be tested again,” said Democratic Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards late Thursday night.
PowerOutage.us data shows that as of this article’s publication, more than 50,000 Texans and 64,000 Louisianans have already lost power.
Storm surge warnings have gone into effect from High Island, Texas, to Pearl River, Louisiana, according to The Weather Channel. A “life-threatening storm surge” is possible under this advisory, particularly in low-level areas that are quick to flood.
Meteorologists project that after Delta’s landfall, the storm will continue to move inland over the lower Mississippi Valley throughout the weekend.
The Weather Channel noted that scientists anticipate the highest storm surge in the immediate Gulf Coast area, as well as parts of south-central Louisiana. “Inundation could reach 7 to 11 feet above ground in these areas,” the station warned.
The storm’s winds are expected to weaken as it tears through the US, decreasing to speeds of around 25 mph by early Monday morning.