Delta has weakened to a tropical depression, but residents shouldn’t let their guard down as the storm’s impacts will continue to be felt long after the storm. Soaking rain and locally severe thunderstorms are expected to spread across the southern and eastern United States into Sunday. Now residents across Louisiana and southeast Texas are left to clean up from not one, but two hurricanes. In the days ahead, forecasters say stifling heat and humidity could add more misery to the ongoing cleanup and recovery efforts. This is the end of AccuWeather’s live coverage of Delta and the final update for this live blog. For more recap coverage of Delta, click here and stay tuned to AccuWeather.com and the AccuWeather TV Network.
The NASA Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Core Observatory satellite captured data on the intensity of precipitation as it passed over Hurricane Delta approaching the Gulf Coast on Thursday. In the video, both the storm's eye wall and dense outer rain bands are visible. The satellite works with both a dual frequency radar instrument and a passive microwave radiometer to retrieve data about precipitation. “Data collected from the Core satellite serves as a reference standard that unifies precipitation measurements from research and operational satellites launched by a consortium of GPM partners in the United States, Japan, France, India, and Europe,” NASA states on their website. According to NASA, the GPM constellation of satellites can observe precipitation over the entire globe every 2-3 hours.
The NASA GPM Core Observatory satellite passed over Hurricane Delta on Oct. 8, capturing data on the intensity of precipitation as it approached the Gulf Coast.
At the height of Delta's wrath in Pecan Island, Louisiana, a mobile home that was first destroyed six weeks earlier when Hurricane Laura struck was blown into a road by the storm's ferocious winds. Delta came ashore as a Category 2 storm near Creole, Lousiana, about 80 miles east of where this footage was shot by a storm chaser named Ryan Darr, Storyful reported. Darr's video showed the home completely blocking a road as it was lashed by high winds and a driving rain.
Meteorologists are closely monitoring multiple new areas of tropical concern over the open Atlantic. AccuWeather forecasters are already scrutinizing an area of showers and thunderstorms, also known as a tropical wave, that is trekking across the Atlantic Ocean. As of Saturday morning, this feature was located roughly midway between the Cabo Verde Islands and the Lesser Antilles. There are a number of tracks this storm could take into the beginning of next week. The system could gradually drift to the northwest and may bring little to no impact to land. However, if an area of high pressure develops over the northern Atlantic, easterly winds on the southern side of the high may help to guide this budding tropical feature into the Caribbean. The next two storms that reach tropical storm strength, which is when sustained wind speeds reach 39 mph, will be given the names Epsilon and Zeta by the National Hurricane Center.
The estimated damage total and economic loss due to Hurricane Delta in the U.S. is expected to be somewhere between $4 billion and $6 billion plus an additional $1 billion of damage that occurred earlier this week in Cancun, according to AccuWeather Founder and CEO Dr. Joel N. Myers. “Our estimate of the economic damage caused by the storm is primarily due to powerful wind gusts, coastal storm surge and some flash flooding. Our estimate might have been even higher had it not been for destruction already caused by Hurricane Laura in August. Many families are still using tarps to cover their roofs,” Myers said. “We factor into our estimate damage to homes and business as well as their contents and cars, jobs and wage losses, agricultural losses, infrastructure damage, damage to businesses and their buildings and contents, and the costs of power outages to businesses and residents.” Myers added that the estimate also includes economic losses related to highway closures, evacuations, increased insurance premiums, rescue and recovery, clean up, and flight cancelations.
On Saturday morning, 2,500 members of Louisiana's National Guard deployed to areas across to the state in need of help, CBS News reported. "I want folks to be hopeful because we're going to do everything we can to get them right-side up again" Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards said. Early Saturday, State Sen. Ronnie Johns said that Delta is "worse than we even thought (in Lake Charles and Sulphur) again. We're getting tore up again. It's disheartening, but we'll be OK."
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) announced Delta is now a tropical depression with 35 mph maximum sustained winds. The storm is over western Mississippi moving northeast at 16 mph. “Heavy rains and tropical storm force winds continue near its path,” the NHC posted on Twitter. Still, pockets of heavy rainfall with a general 2-4 inches are forecast from middle Tennessee and southern Kentucky to parts of western North Carolina, southwestern Virginia and southern West Virginia. This amount of rain in 24 hours can be enough to lead to urban flooding and quick rises on some of the smaller streams in the region.
As Delta moves away from Louisiana, residents begin to pick up the pieces and start the recovery process once again. Lake Charles, Louisiana, resident Caleb Cormier moves debris after Hurricane Delta moved tore through his area.
Caleb Cormier moves debris after Hurricane Delta moved through, Saturday, Oct. 10, 2020, in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Delta hit as a Category 2 hurricane with top winds of 100 mph (155 kph) before rapidly weakening over land. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
The Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office announced the Louisiana Highway 1 (LA 1) is now open south of the Leon Theriot Lock in Golden Meadow. According to the sheriff’s office, there are a few areas with standing water that covers lanes of traffic, but the roadway is passable for all vehicles now. State and local law enforcement will be in the area to assist, however, they ask motorists to please drive carefully. "Additionally, all evacuation orders have been lifted and Lafourche Parish bridges have resumed normal operations,” the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office said.
Delta left hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses in the dark on Saturday morning. The storm is on the verge of becoming a tropical depression, but the storm remains a concern as it tracks across the Mississippi Valley, leaving nearly 800,000 without power. Restoration times listed on the Entergy outage site are only estimates, according to the utility company's website. “Indication that power is restored to your area does not guarantee your house/business has power. We cannot restore power to structures with damaged electrical equipment," Entergy said.
The National Weather Service has issued a tornado watch for parts of Alabama, Florida and Mississippi until 1 p.m. CDT on Saturday. "As Delta [moves inland], the counterclockwise wind flow around the [storm] will support the development of isolated tornadoes mostly along and to the right of the tropical cyclone's path," AccuWeather Hurricane Expert Dan Kottlowski said. While the greatest risk of tornadoes will be along the I-10 corridor, there is the potential for severe thunderstorms near and east of the track of the center of Delta through Saturday night in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee. "Every hurricane is different in the amount of tornadoes that are produced as the storm makes landfall and moves inland and is dependent on a number of factors, but not so much the time of the year," Kottlowski said.
Delta’s strong winds flipped two trucks over on their sides on Interstate 10 between Lake Charles and Lafayette, Louisiana, on Friday night as the storm started barreling inland, according to AccuWeather National Reporter Bill Wadell. The Category 2 hurricane made landfall near Creole, Louisiana, with maximum sustained wind speeds of 100 mph.
Although the storm has weakened, Delta still threatens storm surge, flooding and widespread power outages. As of 7 a.m. CDT, Delta is barely a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 40 mph. The system is located about 45 miles to the east of Monroe, Louisiana, and is moving at a speed of 16 mph. Once Delta's winds drop below 39 mph, it will be designated a tropical depression.
A truck flipped over on its sides on Interstate 10 in Louisiana on Friday, Oct. 9, 2020. (AccuWeather National Reporter Bill Wadell)
Delta hit hurricane-ravaged Louisiana with 100 mph winds that ripped tarps off of damaged roofs in communities still recovering from the devastating impact of Hurricane Laura. “I’m in a building right now with a tarp on it and just the sound of the tarp flapping on the building sounds like someone pounding with a sledgehammer on top of the building,“ Lake Charles Mayor Nic Hunter told The Associated Press. ”It’s pretty intense.”
Storm surge and flash floods continued to pose a threat across much of southwestern Louisiana. “Our heroes at LCFD and LCPD have been back in action for several hours now as I post this. We do see some localized flooding. Too early to give an exact account neighborhood by neighborhood, but some houses did get inches of water in them. Electricity is out citywide,” Hunter posted on Facebook on Saturday morning. “In short, every storm has its own DNA. Though Delta may have been a “weaker,” storm than Laura, Delta has been more of a water event than a wind event. Today is not the day to come back to Lake Charles if you can avoid it. Allow our public safety and other city personnel to do their job today in starting to pick up the pieces.”
As of their 4 a.m. CDT update, the National Hurricane Center determined that Delta had maximum sustained winds of 45 mph as it moves north-northeast at 16 mph about 45 miles away from Monroe, Louisiana. No coastal watches or warnings are in effect. Although the storm’s strength has weakened, Delta’s impacts will continue. People in communities such as Alexandria and Monroe, Louisiana, as well as Natchez, Jackson and Greenville, Mississippi, should be prepared for lengthy power outages that could last for days.
By late Friday night, approximately 17.02 inches of rain fell in a rain gauge east of Lake Charles, Louisiana. Bell City, Louisiana, was close behind with 16.31 inches of rainfall. Heavy downpours will continue to cause rainfall totals to increase across the area, which has already resulted in reports of flash flooding in an area that was still recovering from Category 4 Hurricane Laura, which struck the same region only six weeks ago.
As of their 1 a.m. CDT update, the National Hurricane Center determined that Delta has lost its hurricane-strength winds and is now a tropical storm. Despite the status change, Delta continues to bring flooding rainfall and tropical-storm-force winds to Louisiana and surrounding areas. Nearly 500,000 in Louisiana alone are without power as of 1:05 a.m. CDT, according to PowerOutage.US. Tropical storm warnings remain in effect from High Island, Texas, to the mouth of the Pearl River in Louisiana. In Louisiana, these warnings include the city of New Orleans, as well as Lake Pontchartain and Lake Maurepas.
Power outages as of 1 a.m. CDT, Saturday. (AccuWeather)
Power outages continue to climb as Hurricane Delta unleashes damaging wind gusts and torrential rain across the Gulf Coast. As of 10:45 p.m. CDT, over 515,000 customers were without power across Louisiana and Texas, according to PowerOutage.US. Over 106,000 of these outages came from Texas, while the rest belong to the weather-weary state of Louisiana. When Delta made landfall Friday, many of the impacted communities in Louisiana were still in the process of recovering from the devastating Hurricane Laura, which made landfall on August 28th.
After Hurricane Delta passed over Cypremort Point, Louisiana, AccuWeather National Reporter Jonathan Petramala shot a photo of a purple sky.There have been reports before of purple skies after hurricanes, notably after Florence, Michael and possibly Dorian. "Sunlight is composed of all the colors of the rainbow" AccuWeather Meteorologist Reneé Duff said. "As the sun dips down over the horizon, sunlight has to pass through a thicker layer of the atmosphere compared to the daytime. This causes the blue light that is seen during the daytime to be scattered away from our eyes, allowing more orange and red light to pass through."
Meteorologist Lauren Rautenkranz of First Coast News in Jacksonville, Florida, mentioned in 2018 that purple also scatters with blue light, our eyes just don't see it due to their own limitations. However, Rautenkranz suggests the moisture from the hurricane interacted with how the light was scattered."The light was scattered around the moisture in the air, causing the magic purple color," Rautenkranz said of the sky after Hurricane Michael.
AccuWeather National Reporter Jonathan Petramala captured a purple sky over Cypremort Point, Louisiana, on Oct. 9 after Hurricane Delta had blown through. (AccuWeather/Jonathan Petramala)
As Delta strikes the Gulf Coast, a strong storm surge has made its way to Texas. Video taken on Oct. 9 on South Padre Island, Texas, showed ocean water rush up a winding ramp leading down to what would normally be more land, but was instead flooded entirely by the ocean. The waves flooded around an electric pole as onlookers watch from a higher part of the ramp to avoid the tides. The video revealed buildings not too far from the rising water.
Moments before a live shot, a gust of wind from Delta knocked AccuWeather National Reporter Jonathan Petramala off balance, catching him at just the right moment to snatch one of his sliders. Cypremort Point, the location where Petramala was reporting live, is about 75 miles east of where Delta made landfall. The area to the east of hurricanes typically receive some of the strongest winds, the front and right part of the storm when looking at it via satellite often referred to as the “dirty side” of the hurricane. Delta’s top recorded wind gust as of Friday evening was 96 mph in Lake Arthur, Louisiana.
An onlooker quickly retreated to his car in Galveston, Texas, exclaiming “Ow, that hurts!” as winds and storm surge battered the shore. He told another person in the car that the waves hurt as they hit him, and explained that he was about two steps up on a flight of stairs leading down to the ocean before being hit. In the video, harsh waves hitting a staircase can be seen in the background and the car window is covered in water as the passenger rolls it back up.
After making landfall with 100 mph sustained winds, the storm’s sustained winds were weakening and had dropped to 90 mph, the NHC said in a Friday evening bulletin, making Delta a Category 1 storm. As of 7 p.m. local time, Delta was about 25 miles south of Jennings, Louisiana, and moving north-northeast at 14 mph. Earlier as Delta was moving through Lake Charles, AcccuWeather National Reporter Bill Waddell was reporting from a flooded parking lot and winds were gusting upwards of 95 mph as he was in the middle of a live hit for the AccuWeather TV network. Like his colleague Reed Timmer, Bill was seen sport some effective eyewear as wind-whipped rain was pelting him in the face.
Power outages across Louisiana have soared into the hundreds of thousands only a little more than an hour after Hurricane Delta’s landfall. Although the outages are focused in the southwestern part of the state, thousands of outages were reported in the more central counties by 7:15 p.m. CDT, according to PowerOutages.US. Over 200,000 customers have lost power across Louisiana, and nearly another 100,000 in Texan counties at the Louisiana-Texas border.
AccuWeather's Jonathan Petramala struggled to stand steady as he reported from Cypremort Point, Louisiana, as the eastern eye wall of Hurricane Delta made its way on shore. As the eye wall makes its way farther inland, Petramala explained that the storm surge will come with it. The waters are currently in a low tide, which he said may be able to aid in keeping the damage from the surge down. “But again, it’s hard to stop a force like a hurricane,” he said. Throughout the report, Petramala struggled to stand straight and had to take multiple moments to regain his balance from the harsh winds and surge.
Delta made landfall as Category 2 hurricane in Creole, Louisiana, at 6 p.m. CDT on Friday, making it the first hurricane named after a Greek letter to make landfall in the U.S. The storm was packing 100 mph winds as it struck the coast, after strong winds, heavy rain and an intense storm surge battered the coast all day on Friday. The storm is continuing to trek north-northeastward at 15 mph. Delta made landfall just 13 miles from where Hurricane Laura previously made landfall this hurricane season.
Hurricane Delta made landfall near Creole, Louisiana
While donning ski goggles, Extreme Meteorologist Reed Timmer stood at the shore of Lake Arthur as Delta’s eye wall moved onshore around 5 p.m. CDT. The eye wall alone coming onshore does not signal a landfall, but the roaring winds were still enough to drown out Timmer. A WeatherFlow observing site near Cameron, Louisiana, had recently reported sustained wind of 58 mph and a wind gust of up to 78 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center. Storm surge at the station has risen to 9 feet above normal tide levels. Lake Arthur sits about 43 miles northeast of Cameron, where Laura had made landfall back in August. Meanwhile, the NOAA water level gauge at Freshwater Canal Locks, Louisiana, reported storm surge flooding of over 7 feet above ground level.
Try to catch what Timmer is saying here:
As the surge began in Louisiana, video showed violent waves crashing against seawalls. Cypermont Point, Louisiana, had the highest projected storm surge on the coast. Storm chaser Brandon Clement, on assignment there for AccuWeather, captured footage of the wind-whipped waves -- including as they lashed one person who was trying, and struggling, to take photos of the spectacle.
As the outer bands of Delta lash out against the Gulf Coast, power outages began to climb across Texas and Louisiana. As of 4:45 p.m. CDT, over 82,000 customers throughout the two states were without power, according to PowerOutage.US. Over 45,000 came from Texas, with the majority of these outages in Jefferson and Orange counties. Both of these counties border southeastern Louisiana. The majority of the over 37,000 power outages in Louisiana are clustered around the southwestern part of the state, trailing into the south-central region along the coast.
As Hurricane Delta barreled across the Gulf of Mexico, wind gusts of up to Category 2 strength were recorded by buoys and oil rigs positioned at various points around the Gulf. The top gust of 101 mph was picked up by the Gunnison Spar oil rig.
Onshore, the winds were kicking up well ahead of Delta’s arrival. Though the storm was headed for landfall along the central Louisiana coast, the strongest wind gust recorded thus far, 74 mph, occurred in Sabine Pass, Texas.
AccuWeather has a team of seven reporters and meteorologists in place across Louisiana for when Hurricane Delta makes landfall, including Extreme Meteorologist Reed Timmer and AccuWeather National News Reporter Jonathan Petramala. Of the seven, Bill Wadell and Stephanie Calderon will be reporting live from Lake Charles, a city that took the brunt of Hurricane Laura back in late August. Continue to check back with AccuWeather online and on television throughout the weekend with real-time reports from Louisiana.
AccuWeather National Reporter Jonathan Petramala is stationed in Cypremort Point, about a two-hour drive southeast of Lake Charles, and filed a report for the AccuWeather TV network while standing on a dock in Vermillion Bay. In the background, choppy waters could be seen sending waves crashing into the sea wall as the wind howled into his microphone. Petramala remarked that the bay was “angry.” He also posted video on Twitter showing waves crashing over that see wall – even though it was low tide. “It’s only going to get worse as Hurricane Delta makes its way here,” he told viewers. Watch Petramala’s full report from the network below.
Storm surge is rising fast along the western and central coast of Louisiana as Delta starts to near landfall. A water gauge at Freshwater Canal Locks, Louisiana, has reported a storm surge of 6.5 feet above normal tide level, according to NOAA, the highest storm surge report so far among gauges across the region. This water gauge has only been over 4.44 feet one time and that was during Hurricane Ike in 2008, AccuWeather Meteorologist Jesse Ferrell said. What makes the five-foot report even more impressive is that it occurred shortly after low tide. Other water gauges across the region are well above normal, including Calcasieu Pass, Louisiana, where Calcasieu Lake connects with the Gulf of Mexico.
The storm surge from Hurricane Delta caused major flooding at Freshwater Canal Locks, Louisiana, on Friday afternoon. (NOAA)
Delta is still a dangerous hurricane despite losing wind intensity. The storm is expected to cause significant damage as it moves over the hurricane-rattled region. AccuWeather meteorologists have been tracking the storm since last weekend when it first emerged and was labeled as a potential tropical cyclone in the Caribbean. Now with landfall only hours away, forecasters have been able to identify the storm's likely landfall destination. The storm is expected to arrive between Cameron, Louisiana, and Pecan Island, Louisiana, which are separated by a distance of roughly 54 miles.
Delta's weakening continues as it gets closer to the Louisiana shoreline. As of 1 p.m. CDT, Delta is now a Category 2 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 110 mph. It is only 80 miles away from Cameron, Louisiana. Delta is now moving to the north-northeast at a speed of 14 mph, slightly faster than the 10 a.m. local time advisory when it churned around 13 mph. Although winds are slightly weaker, the storm is still expected to cause major damage and flooding across Louisiana and far southeastern Texas.
Hurricane-force winds extend up to 40 miles outward from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 160 miles, the NHC said. As of Friday afternoon, parts of the far eastern coastline of Texas were experiencing tropical-storm-force winds as well as the Louisiana coastline. Lake Charles, Louisiana, had recorded a gust as high as 60 mph. Sustained winds of 45 mph have been reported at Texas Point along the coast near the Texas-Louisiana border along with a gust of 59 mph. A buoy about 25 miles east of Galveston, Texas, reported a peak sustained wind of 52 mph and a gust to 60 mph.
Hurricane Laura was blamed for at least 30 deaths in Louisiana following the storm's path through the state in late August. However, not all of those fatalities occurred during the storm. A look at the list of fatalities and cause of deaths compiled by the Louisiana Department of Health showed nine of the deaths were due to carbon monoxide poisoning, which officials said was due to the improper use of generators by people who had lost power.
With Delta expected to trigger more lengthy power outages in the region, the Louisiana Office of State Fire Marshall implored residents in the storm's path to follow safety guidelines when using portable generators. These tips include:
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Do not place a generator inside of any structure
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Do not place near open windows or doors
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Do not use in wet conditions
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Do not refuel the generator when it's hot
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Do not plug a generator into a wall outlet
For more tips and information on safe generator usage, click here or watch the video below.
With Delta's landfall getting closer, Lake Charles, Louisiana, Mayor Nic Hunter took to Facebook to issue a message of gratitude for hardworking city employees. "For the citizens of Lake Charles, please know that your City employees have worked and toiled to prepare this City as much as humanly possible for Hurricane Delta. You should be very proud of them. Next time you see a City employee, thank them, no matter what department they work for. Every department and division should be commended. Understandably, many citizens don’t have an understanding for the thousand moving parts and hundreds of employees that all must play a role in this implementation. To every City employee, I thank you. My family thanks you," Hunter wrote. Many people in the Lake Charles have had little time to recover from powerful Hurricane Laura in August and are now about to take a significant strike from Delta. Click here to read the mayor's full statement.
Storm surge is beginning to pile up along the coast of Louisiana around the area where Delta is forecast to make landfall. A tide station at Calcasieu Pass in Cameron Parish is reporting a water level just shy of four feet, which is considered minor flood stage and is notably higher than it has been in recent days when Delta was father away. This station is at the inlet that leads of Calcasieu Lake, an area that was hit hard by Hurricane Laura. The storm surge is forecast to reach 6-10 feet in this area. With waves on top of the storm surge, water may enter the second story of some buildings along the coast.
Even areas along the coast of Texas are experiencing storm surge from Delta even though the hurricane will make landfall in Louisiana. San Luis Pass, located just south of Galveston, Texas, is reporting a storm surge nearly 3 feet above normal late Friday morning, according to NOAA observations. If water levels continue to rise, the area may reach moderate flood stage.
Water levels were approaching moderate flood stage at San Louis Pass, Texas, late Friday morning. (NOAA)
The Texas City, Texas Webcam in Galveston, Texas, shows storm surge from Hurricane Delta on October 9, 2020
As thousands of Louisiana residents prepared for the arrival of Hurricane Delta, one couple walked down the aisle on Thursday, although their wedding wasn’t quite how they had pictured it. Ian and Taylor Gaspard originally were set to tie the knot on Saturday, Oct. 10 at a local church in Abbeville, Louisiana, just a few miles inland from the Gulf Coast, but the ominous weather forecast forced the couple to get married a few days early, The Associated Press said. “Within 16 hours they threw an entire wedding together, and it’s beautiful. I can’t ask for better,” Taylor said. The newlyweds made the most out of the opportunity and didn’t let the cloudy sky dampen the mood of their special day. “At the end of the day we just wanted to get married and it was important that we did it in the church because that was important to our parents and our faith.”
In this image made from video, Ian and Taylor Gaspard from Abbeville speak to a reporter after geting married Thursday, Oct. 8, 2020, in Abbeville, La. Hurricane Delta sped up the Louisiana couple's wedding by a few days but judging by the smiles on the bride and groom it certainly didn't dampen the affair. (AP Photo/Rebecca Santana)
Crews in one Louisiana city are attempting a unique solution to shore up a hole in a floodgate that isn’t yet complete, according to reporting from AccuWeather National Weather Reporter Bill Wadell. He reported from Houma, Louisiana, about 58 miles southwest of New Orleans and located on the eastern side of where Delta is expected to make landfall — the side of the hurricane where the worst of the storm’s rainfall and most dangerous storm surge are anticipated. Officials brought in a barge and sunk it to help block a gap in the floodgate, with the hopes that the move will prevent water from Delta from being pushed father into the coastal area of Terrebonne Parish.
Mandatory evacuations had been issued for parts of the coastal areas of the Louisiana parish, with an emergency shelter opening up at a civic center. Local food banks in the region anticipated helping twice as many people this year compared to last amid the intersection of an extremely busy hurricane season and the coronavirus pandemic. "We’re here providing blankets, meal kits and pillows for those people who come to the shelter for help. We’re tired. I’m not going to kid with you. We’re pretty tired," Lawrence DeHart of the Terrebonne Churches United Foodbank told Wadell on Thursday. Watch the full story here.
A barge was brought in and sunk in attempts to block a gap in a floodgate under construction in Houma, Louisiana. (Facebook / Terrebonne Parish Consolidated Government)
The National Hurricane Center said in its latest advisory that Delta is now 130 miles south-southwest of Cameron, Louisiana, and was moving slightly faster at a speed of 13 mph, up from 12 mph in the previous advisory. Delta is still a major hurricane, but its maximum sustained winds have dropped to 115 mph; AccuWeather forecasters have said that the storm will weaken to a Category 2 hurricane by the time it makes landfall later Friday. Regardless of its exact classification at landfall, Delta is still forecast to have major impacts across the region as it unleashes damaging winds, flooding rain and inundating storm surge.
The eye of Hurricane Delta became visible on radar on Friday morning as the storm approached Louisiana. (AccuWeather)
People in Lake Charles, Louisiana, are waking up to heavy rain from Hurricane Delta, and the rain will not let up leading up to landfall on Friday evening. The eye of the storm is 160 miles south of Cameron, Louisiana, and is now close enough to the coast to be seen on radar.
The eye of Hurricane Delta could be seen on radar on Friday morning 160 miles south of the Louisiana coast. (AccuWeather)
Although the eye can be picked out on radar, it is not evident when looking at satellite images of the hurricane. NOAA’s GOES-East weather satellite captured this image of Delta shortly after the sun rose over the storm, but a clear eye cannot be seen at the center of the hurricane. It still remains a formidable hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 120 mph.
Hurricane Delta swirling over the western Gulf of Mexico around sunrise on Friday, Oct. 9, 2020. (NOAA/GOES-East)
Delta remains over 100 miles away from land, but conditions are already worsening on the Gulf Coast. However, the strongest winds have yet to arrive. Earlier Friday, a 101 mph wind gust was reported in the Gulf of Mexico around 4:40 a.m. as the eye of Delta passed over the Gunnison spar oil rig. The wind gust from the eyewall of Delta occurred before the station stopped reporting. The rig's anemometer, an instrument used to measure wind speed, is at 200 feet in elevation, however, which is 170 feet higher than standard, according to AccuWeather Senior Weather Editor Jesse Ferrell. Ferrell added that 10 meters above the ground (about 30 feet) is the standard mounting height for official anemometer readings, a standard set by the National Weather Service.
(Image/NOAA)
Torrents of tropical downpours drenched Louisiana throughout Thursday night as Hurricane Delta approached the region. More than a month’s worth of rain has fallen in cities such as Baton Rouge, Louisiana -- and the worst of Delta has yet to arrive. The capital of the state reported nearly 8 inches of rain by 7 a.m. CDT Friday with more in the forecast, compared to the 4.7 inches that is typically measured throughout the entire month of October. In addition to the wind and rain, people across the region should be vigilant as Delta could also spin up tornadoes. "As Delta approaches the coast then moves inland, the counterclockwise wind flow around the hurricane will support the development of isolated tornadoes mostly along and to the right of the tropical cyclone's path," said Dan Kottlowski, AccuWeather's top hurricane expert.
In the latest edition of AccuWeather's Weather Insider podcast, Chief Broadcast Meteorologist Bernie Rayno provides a forecast update on Hurricane Delta. Rayno discusses the storm's likely landfall destination and which cities could be hit the hardest from the storm. Give it a listen below.
The 2020 Atlantic hurricane season has been one for the record books, especially in Louisiana. Hurricane Delta is forecast to make landfall along the Louisiana coast not far away from where Hurricane Laura roared ashore in late August as a Category 4 storm. "It's unusual for two hurricanes to hit the same point on land within weeks of each other, but it's not unprecedented,” AccuWeather Meteorologist Jesse Ferrell said. “Hurricanes Frances and Jeanne both hit near Port St. Lucie, Florida 19 days apart in 2004."
Tropical Storm Cristobal and Tropical Storm Marco also made landfall along the coast of Louisiana earlier this season, meaning that after Delta reaches land, the state will account for 4 of the 10 U.S. landfalls so far this hurricane season.
This map shows where every hurricane and tropical storm has made landfall in the contiguous United States as of Oct. 8, 2020.
As of 7 a.m., local time, Hurricane Delta is still a Category 3 hurricane with maximum sustained wind speeds of 120 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center. Located about 160 miles south of Cameron, Louisiana, forecasters are expecting the major hurricane to weaken slightly before making landfall late Friday. The storm is moving north at 12 mph with hurricane-force winds extending 40 miles outward from the center. Forecasters are expecting Delta to take a northeastern turn on Friday afternoon, placing communities from southwestern to south-central Louisiana in the path of the worst conditions.
In preparation of Hurricane Delta, more than 90% of crude oil production in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico went offline. The storm, which is anticipated to make landfall on Friday, caused LNG plants and refineries to shut down in preparation of the hurricane, S&P Global reported. Over 1.69 million b/d (barrels per day) of crude production and 1.675 Bcf/d (billion cubic feet per day) of natural gas output in the Gulf were shut down on Oct. 8, according to the US Bureau of Safety and Environmental, Enforcement, totaling to 279 platforms and rigs across the Gulf. Shell, BP and Chevron have all released statements that are issuing precautions due to the hurricane in their platforms and facilities. ”As a precautionary measure, Shell has shut in production at all nine of its assets and has evacuated all personnel," Shell said in an Oct. 8 statement. "All drilling operations have been safely paused."
As Delta's eastern eyewall passed over a buoy in the Gulf of Mexico, a sustained wind of 78 mph with a gust to 99 mph was reported. The buoy also reported a wave height of about 35 feet. The maximum sustained winds with Hurricane Delta remain at 120 mph.
Two Hurricane Hunter planes flew through the eye of Hurricane Delta on Thursday, Oct. 8. TEAL 73 and NOAA 42 passed each other in the eye of the hurricane as the hurricane scientists on board monitored Delta while it treks across the Gulf of Mexico. Meteorologist Jeremy DeHart captured on video as TEAL 73 passed by the other plane. “I've never been able to see them from this close and for so long,” he said on Twitter.
Residents of Grand Lake, Louisiana, have begun evacuating as Hurricane Delta nears the coast. In areas where Laura has weakened otherwise sturdy structures, some residents who chose to ride out the previous hurricane are now packing to evacuate as Delta creeps toward Grand Lake. “I have cracks in my brick, cracks in my slab,” Shane Connor told AccuWeather’s Jonathan Petramala. “The top structure stayed, but the bottom structure had to take a lot to hold it in place.” Watch the whole video here.
Meteorologists now have one more crucial tool available to track Delta as it approaches the coast of Louisiana. A mobile radar from the University of Oklahoma has made the journey from Normal, Oklahoma, to Lake Charles, Louisiana, just in time to help meteorologists track the dangerous hurricane as it nears landfall. This will help to fill in the gap in radar coverage that was created when Hurricane Laura severely damaged the permeant radar that is located in Lake Charles. “The SMART radars have helped build a strong collaborative research program between university scientists and our NOAA partners, including the National Severe Storms Laboratory and the Hurricane Research Division,” said Michael Biggerstaff, a meteorology professor at Oklahoma University. “We will do our best to augment the existing radar coverage in the vicinity of the landfall of Hurricane Delta.”
As Hurricane Delta treks toward the coast of Louisiana, residents in Mexico are left to clean up the destruction they faced from the storm system. Extreme Meteorologist Reed Timmer was reporting from Mérida, Mexico, where streets are flooded in multiple feet of water at some points. Cancún, Mexico, was hit even harder, with palm trees and power lines down through the city downed by the harsh winds and the local airport closed. On Oct. 8, flights were expected to resume in both Cancún and Mérida. The storm system is now on its way toward the Louisiana coast, which is still in recovery mode from Laura. Timmer called the incoming storm “a terrible, terrible situation” for the state. Watch the full video here.
On Thursday afternoon, NOAA’s Hurricane Hunters flew through Delta and found that the hurricane had strengthened into a Category 3 storm with maximum sustained winds of 115 mph. To be considered a major hurricane, maximum sustained winds must be at least 111 mph, the lowest threshold to be classified as a Category 3 storm on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. Delta is forecast to remain a major hurricane through landfall, which is anticipated between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. CDT Friday along the coast of Louisiana. The eye of the storm has also become visible on satellite, another indication that the storm is becoming better organized.
The eye of Hurricane Delta became visible on satellite on Thursday afternoon around the time that it was upgraded to a major Category 3 hurricane. (NOAA/GOES-East)
Hurricane Delta is a little more than 24 hours away from making landfall along the coast of Louisiana, and residents across the region are taking the storm seriously. AccuWeather National News Reporter Jonathan Petramala witnessed major congestion along Interstate 10 just north of Lake Charles, Louisiana, as residents evacuated before conditions deteriorated. A drone also captured footage of the highway backed up as far as the eye could see. Although the center of Delta is still over the Gulf of Mexico, tropical downpours associated with the hurricane are already soaking parts of the Gulf Coast, which could slow traffic even more.
The impacts of Hurricane Delta will be felt long beyond landfall. The worst of the hurricane will impact the Gulf Coast to the Interstate 10 corridor, however effects will be felt as far as the interior of the central and eastern U.S. through the weekend. Before Delta is able to rip through the Northeast, however, strong winds could tear the system to pieces. "As Delta continues to move inland during the second half of the weekend, its center is likely to become poorly defined and could be torn apart by strong westerly winds associated with the jet stream,” according to AccuWeather Meteorologist Jake Sojda. Whatever remains of Delta will mix with tropical moisture from the Caribbean, Atlantic moisture and other non-tropical entities to create patchy rain and even downpours that will drench the southern and central Appalachian Mountains. Read the full story here.
Nicole Fantiny of Grand Isle, Louisiana, tried to quit smoking a couple of weeks ago, she told The Associated Press. But another hurricane bearing down on the small barrier island where she works as a restaurant manager – combined with the global coronavirus pandemic -- has now foiled her attempt to kick the habit. The AP talked with Fantiny about seven weeks ago when Hurricane Laura was headed toward Grand Isle and many of the residents were fleeing. At the time, she told the AP she planned to stay behind. As Hurricane Delta approached this week, she told the AP she was planning to evacuate this time around, once her restaurant closed down. “The epidemic, the coronavirus, put a lot of people out of work,” Fantiny said. “Now, having to leave once a month for these storms — it’s been taking a lot,” she added, revealing the latest challenge 2020 has thrown her way caused her to break down and buy a pack of cigarettes.
AccuWeather meteorologists are calling for a general 4-8 inches of rain to fall near where Delta makes landfall in the U.S. with an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 12 inches. Why aren’t the rainfall forecasts higher? Because of the forward speed of the storm. Hurricane Delta overnight slowed from a forward speed on Wednesday of 17 mph to 14 mph by late morning on Thursday. And it’s expected to continue moving at a brisk pace right through landfall – unlike Hurricane Sally, which slowed down to a forward speed of about 2-3 mph as it might its final approach last month. In late August, Hurricane Laura tracked toward the coastline at 15 mph during its final approach ahead of landfall, and Delta is taking a similar track to that storm. Because of Delta’s speed, AccuWeather forecasters are not predicting “cataclysmic rainfall,” AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski said, though the rain that does fall could still lead to flooding problems.
The center of Hurricane Delta may be hundreds of miles away from land at the moment, but the growing and strengthening storm is already making its presence felt across the Gulf Coast. Outer bands from Delta started moving across southeastern Texas and southern Louisiana earlier Thursday morning and conditions are only expected to deteriorate at the day goes on as Delta's rain becomes heavier and winds become stronger. "Squalls containing torrential downpours, gusty winds and even severe thunderstorms will increase in frequency along the northwestern and central Gulf coast area of the U.S. as seas and surf build into Friday," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski stated.
Delta spins over the Gulf of Mexico on Thursday, Oct. 8, 2020. (Image CIRA/RAMMB)
Throughout this blog, you’ll see references to hurricane hunters flying reconnaissance missions into Hurricane Delta to gather data on the storm’s strength, size and movement. The hurricane hunters also record footage of their adventures, which can often look rather harrowing as it does in this footage, where the storm clouds are shrouded in darkness and then illuminated for a split second by lightning from thunderstorms erupting inside the hurricane. Watch below to see what the hurricane hunters encountered during a mission on Wednesday, and click here to see more video shot by the hurricane hunters.
Cypremort Point, Louisiana, was bustling with activity on Wednesday as people there prepared for the approach of yet another hurricane. Storm chaser Brandon Clement was in the area on assignment for AccuWeather and captured video of the scene as business owners in the community, situated on the coast of Vermillion Bay about a two-hour drive southeast of Lake Charles, began to stow away outdoor furniture. Boat owners could be seen removing vessels from the water and homeowners were boarding up windows as hundreds of miles away across the Gulf, Hurricane Delta churned, threatening a devastating landfall on Friday.
Late on Thursday morning, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) announced that Air Force Reserve hurricane hunters had discovered that Delta had undergone some additional strengthening, as forecasters have been predicting. Delta remained a Cat 2 storm, but sustained wind speeds had increased to 105 mph – just 6 mph below the threshold to qualify for Category 3 force. The forward speed had slowed ever-so-slightly to 14 mph as it moved to the northwest and was looming over the Gulf about 400 miles from Cameron, Louisiana. Meanwhile, hurricane-force winds extended outward up to 35 miles from Delta’s center and tropical-storm-force winds were reaching outward up to 125 miles. Also noteworthy: Delta began to finally show a defined eye on infrared satellite late Thursday morning, another sign of strengthening.
Infrared satellite imagery showing a strengthening Hurricane Delta over the Gulf of Mexico late in the morning on Thursday, Oct. 8, 2020. The storm was showing a more well-defined eye as it tracked closer to U.S. shores. (NOAA / AccuWeather)
Once again, hurricane season is colliding with the realities of a global pandemic as officials in New Orleans have closed down drive-through COVID-19 testing sites on Friday and Saturday due to expected impacts from Delta. According to the latest AccuWeather forecast, New Orleans will likely dodge the worst of the storm, but impacts are still expected and the Louisiana National Guard is being mobilized to respond to whatever havoc Hurricane Delta may cause over the coming days in New Orleans, which is under a tropical storm warning, the city announced on Twitter.
Looking at a satellite image of Hurricane Delta on Thursday morning, AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski pointed out something noteworthy about the Category 2 storm’s shape. Rather than forming in that classic round hurricane shape, the storm was presenting more of an oval shape. “It shows that Delta has a somewhat of an oval shape, indicating that south to southwest wind shear was having some impact on the circulation,” Sosnowski explained. Wind shear – the changing winds at higher levels of the atmosphere – can have various effects on tropical storms, including influencing the track a storm takes. “This may also give a hint or support the anticipated northward turn today,” which forecasters are expecting it to make as it closes in on the Louisiana coastline.
An infrared satellite image taken on the morning of Oct. 8, 2020, showing Hurricane Delta moving over the Gulf of Mexico. Noticeable, the storm had taken on somewhat of an oval shape. (NOAA / AccuWeather)
The upcoming Monday night NFL game between the New Orleans Saints and Los Angeles Chargers is still expected to take place in New Orleans, according to ESPN. Earlier this week, league officials had been monitoring developments with Hurricane Delta, as earlier forecasts had Delta threatening New Orleans. The latest forecasts show Delta moving toward southwest Louisiana, with landfall expected on Friday. Delta is expected to weaken to a tropical storm and eventually a depression on Saturday well inland and away from the city. One of the contingency plans the NFL was looking into was moving the game to Indianapolis on Monday night. "We will continue to monitor developments in the area and remain in contact with the clubs," NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said, according to ESPN. "We always have contingency plans for all games."
Hurricane Delta is about 425 miles from Cameron, Louisiana, the same location where Laura made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane in late August. The NHC said Delta was moving to the northwest at a speed of 15 mph and had maximum sustained winds of 100 mph. AccuWeather meteorologists expect Delta to peak as a Category 3 hurricane prior to striking the Louisiana coast on Friday. Hurricane and tropical storm warnings and watches are in effect for parts of the Gulf Coast, along with storm surge watches and warnings.
As Hurricane Delta makes its way across the Gulf of Mexico toward a U.S. landfall, AccuWeather meteorologists have rated the potent storm as a 3 on the AccuWeather RealImpact™ Scale for Hurricanes. Unlike the Saffir-Simpson Scale, which is based only on maximum sustained winds, the AccuWeather RealImpact Scale for Hurricanes takes into account flooding rain, storm surge, high winds and the total damage and economic impact from the storm. The worst impacts are expected along the coast of Louisiana, but some impacts from Delta are forecast to be felt well inland.
As of 12:45 a.m. CDT Thursday, Hurricane Delta strengthened from a Category 1 (maximum sustained winds of 74 to 95 mph) to a Category 2 (maximum sustained winds of 96 to 110 mph). The maximum sustained winds were 100 mph. The hurricane is forecast to ramp back up to a Category 3 storm (maximum sustained winds of 111 to 129 mph) as it approaches the coast of Louisiana on Friday.
As Delta gradually draws closer to the United States Gulf Coast, many of the hurricane, tropical storm and storm surge watches have been upgraded to warnings. A Hurricane Warning is in effect from Sabine Pass to Morgan City, Louisiana. A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect from San Luis Pass, Texas to Sabine Pass, Louisiana and from east of Morgan City, Louisiana to the mouth of the Pearl River. This includes Lake Pontchartrain, Lake Maurepas and the city of New Orleans. A Storm Surge Warning has been issued from Sabine Pass, Louisiana to Ocean Springs, Mississippi, including Calcasieu Lake, Vermillion Bay, Lake Pontchartrain, Lake Maurepas and Lake Bornge.
As Delta grows in size and strength on its trek across the Gulf of Mexico, a growing concern will be the storm surge along the Gulf Coast.AccuWeather meteorologists are projecting storm surge along a 500-mile swath of the coast from Pensacola, Florida, through Galveston, Texas. The worst of the coastal inundation will focus on the coast of Louisiana near and east of where Delta makes landfall. The areas that are hit worst by the surge could see water more than 10 feet above the normal tide level, meaning that the entire ground floor of a home along the coast could be underwater. Residents along the coast should prepare now and should listen to local and state officials if evacuation orders are implemented.
Officials said the U.S. Coast Guard has been preparing rescue boats and aircraft ahead of Hurricane Delta’s expected landfall at the end of this week. “We are prepared, we’re ready, we understand what we need to do and how we need to do it,” said Capt. Will Watson, commander of Coast Guard Sector New Orleans. “But I’d be lying to you if I said that we didn’t recognize that this is an extremely busy season,” Watson said. “I don’t think we’ve had a season like since maybe 2005.” The Associated Press said Watson acknowledged that there is “some fatigue” among Coast Guard members due to the frequency of storms striking the region, but they are dealing with the fatigue by planning and bringing in resources from other states. In Mexico, soldiers worked to return life to normal by clearing debris and downed trees out of roadways after Delta battered the area.
The National Hurricane Center reported maximum sustained winds had strengthened from 85 mph to 90 mph by 7:00 p.m. CDT Wednesday as the storm raced northwestward at 17 mph after emerging over the southern Gulf of Mexico. The hurricane is forecast to ramp back up to a Category 3 storm and reach Category 4 status while over the southern Gulf of Mexico later Wednesday night into Thursday. A Category 3 hurricane has sustained winds of 111 to 129 mph, while a Category 4 storm has sustained winds of 130 to 156 mph.
Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards requested a pre-landfall federal emergency declaration in a letter to President Donald Trump on Wednesday, as Delta eyes the disaster-weary state. “Hurricane Delta is a dangerous storm that will bring strong winds, heavy rain, life-threatening storm surge and flooding to coastal Louisiana, and I am hopeful President Trump will quickly approve my request for a federal emergency declaration,” Edwards said in a statement. Edwards announced officials in coastal areas are shoring up levees, sandbagging and taking other protectionary measures. “All Louisianans should use today to prepare for Hurricane Delta, heeding the direction of their local leaders when it comes to evacuations,” Edwards warned. More than 6,600 Laura evacuees remain in hotels around the state since their homes are too damaged to live in following Hurricane Sally, according to The Associated Press.
Hurricane Laura victims received text messages telling them they must pack up and leave their hotel rooms, which served as a shelter following Hurricane Laura, right as another major hurricane barrels toward them. “The last week and a half, it’s been tumultuous for us because the uncertainty that we had, in the beginning, is now multiplied times a hundred because we’re being forced to go back to where we came from,” Alesa Davis said, Fox 4 reported. Davis told reporters she called her Red Cross caseworker and was told she would be put on a list to be out of her hotel room by Wednesday morning. “I’m a tax-paying citizen. I had a job back in Lake Charles. I worked all my life,” Davis said. “Why should we be treated this way because we need our state. Where’s our state for us right now?” Davis is not the only one — others, like Dawn Adams, received a text message with similar instructions, according to Fox 4. “Right after I got the message, we were packing up, and the caseworker, that’s when they called me, and when I mentioned, she was trying to talk to me. I was like, ‘We’re packing up and leaving. We were told to get out.’ She was like, ‘Wait, what?’ They didn’t even know. So the communication is off somewhere,” Adams said.
In its 4 p.m. CDT update, the National Hurricane Center said Delta weakened to a Category 1 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 85 mph and is moving at a speed of 17 mph. Delta is making its trek toward the U.S. Gulf Coast and is located about 580 miles south-southeast of Cameron, Louisiana. "Delta will take aim at the Louisiana coast on Friday where it is expected to bring a dangerous and life-threatening storm surge, heavy flooding rainfall, damaging winds along the coast as well as isolated tornadoes from Friday into Saturday," AccuWeather's top hurricane expert Dan Kottlowski said.
When Hurricane Laura made landfall in southwestern Louisiana in late August, it left behind extensive damage, including to the radar system in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Radar is an essential tool for meteorologists as it provides real-time data about the weather, such as where precipitation is falling and estimated wind speeds above the ground. The damage to the radar in Lake Charles was so severe that it is still out of commission. In late September, the National Weather Service removed one of the crucial components of the radar to repair it, but it will be some time before it is back up and running.
Unfortunately, repairs will not be complete before the arrival of Hurricane Delta, which is forecast to make landfall along the coast of Louisiana late Friday. The next-closest radar sites are located in New Orleans and Fort Polk, Louisiana, and Houston. These three radars will still provide data about Delta as it approaches the Louisiana coast, but since they are farther away, they will not provide the same data that the radar in Lake Charles would if it were fully operational. An area that is not located near a radar is sometimes referred to as a ‘radar hole’ due to the weak coverage from the distant radars.
According to the AccuWeather commodities forecast team, Hurricane Delta will shut down natural gas and oil production in the central Gulf and western Gulf of Mexico for a period of three to four days. The storm will be stirring up rough surf and as of Wednesday afternoon, sustained wind speeds were 100 mph. Reuters reported that nearly 30% of crude oil production in the Gulf has already been shut down, which will stop the production of 540,000 barrels of oil per day. What does that mean for consumers at home? Perhaps a modest uptick in gas prices. As a result of the threat posed by Delta – and the disruption to the usual workflow – oil prices had risen by at least 3%, and futures for U.S. crude oil and gasoline futures each fell about 3%, according to Reuters.
The National Hurricane Center said in its latest advisory that Delta is moving to the northwest out over the southern Gulf of Mexico at a speed of 17 mph. An Air Force hurricane hunter is currently en route to investigate the system. Delta's maximum sustained winds have dipped to 100 mph, but it remains a Category 2 hurricane. Hurricane-force winds extend up to 30 miles out from the center of Delta. Also per the NHC, Mexico's government has discontinued all tropical storm warnings along the east coast of the Yucatan Peninsula from Punta Herrero to Tulum. As shown in the graphic below, hurricane and tropical storm watches are in effect for parts of the northern Gulf Coast of the U.S.
No deaths or injuries have been reported in Mexico thus far as a result of Hurricane Delta despite widespread reports of damage, The Associated Press reported. In the state of Quintana Roo, Gov. Carlos Joaquín said power had been knocked out to half of the customers in Cancun, Cozumel and Playa del Carmen. About 40,000 tourists are currently in the resort-filled region, The AP said. That number is down significantly from what it would normally be as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. About 160 shelters were opened by the government in Cancun. Joaquin said the hotels that did not suffer extensive damage would hopefully be able to bring guests back from the shelters soon. Officials were expected to survey the damage throughout the day on Wednesday with much of the worst of the storm behind them, according to the AP.
(Image/Extreme meteorologist Reed Timmer)
As Hurricane Delta, a Category 2 storm on Wednesday morning, begins pulling away from land and heading on its course toward the U.S., it is forecast to go through more strengthening – possibly back up to Category 4 force. A big factor in that strengthening will be the water surface temperatures across the Gulf of Mexico. Warm water can be fuel for hurricanes and, right now, the Gulf is very warm. According to temperature data collected Wednesday morning by buoys positioned across various parts of the Gulf over which Delta is projected to travel, water temperatures range from 77 degrees near the coast to 82 degrees farther south. Those temperatures readings are lower, however, than some of the warm water Delta just passed over and, no doubt, gained strength from. A buoy situated in the northwestern Caribbean Sea registered a reading of 85.1 degrees.
Hurricane Delta may force the NFL to relocate its upcoming Monday night game between the New Orleans Saints and Los Angeles Chargers, Jeff Duncan of The Athletic reported. Currently scheduled to take place in New Orleans, the Indianapolis Colts were reportedly told by the league that the game may be moved to Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis should evacuations and relocations be necessary. According to The Athletic, the Saints would need to travel on Thursday if the game is relocated. Previously, the Saints had a game relocated to Indianapolis in 2008 after Hurricane Gustav.
AccuWeather Chief Broadcast Meteorologist Bernie Rayno has the latest forecast on Delta for the U.S. Rayno explains how a "reverse tug-of-war" in the atmosphere will influence Delta's final destination for landfall in the U.S. Watch the video below for more.
In its 10 a.m. CDT update, the National Hurricane Center said Delta was about to emerge off the northern coast of the Yucatan Peninsula. Delta is still a strong Category 2 storm with maximum sustained winds of 105 mph and is moving at a speed of 17 mph. Delta is located about 65 mile west-southwest of Cabo Catoche, Mexico, a town located on the northern point of the Yucatan. Delta is now embarking on a march toward the U.S. Gulf Coast, a distance of roughly 700 miles toward Louisiana's Iberia Parish based on the latest eye path forecast from AccuWeather meteorologists.
The first watches for the U.S. have also been issued. A storm surge watch is now in place for "the northern Gulf coast from High Island, Texas, to the Alabama/Florida border including Calcasieu Lake, Vermilion Bay, Lake Pontchartrain, Lake Maurepas, Lake Borgne and Mobile Bay," the NHC said. A hurricane watch is in effect for the northern Gulf Coast from High Island, Texas, on eastward to Grand Isle, Louisiana. Tropical storm watches are in effect east of Grand Isle. This includes Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, New Orleans, Lake Pontchartrain and Lake Maurepas.
Delta is seen moving into the Gulf of Mexico on Wednesday morning. (Image/NOAA GOES East)
Delta may not currently be a major hurricane, but it's still a fearsome storm. The storm's winds are lashing the Yucatan Peninsula and are already responsible for widespread damage and power outages in and around Cancun. A wind gust of 110 mph is the highest reported gust so far. That occurred near the town of Puerto Morelos, which is right around where Delta made landfall around 5:30 a.m. local time Wednesday.
Extreme meteorologist Reed Timmer is in Cancun right in the thick of things with Hurricane Delta. Timmer shared several videos to Twitter showing complete destruction to several structures right along the Cancun waterfront. Timmer reported amid gusty winds with numerous palm trees blown down behind him in one video posted to Twitter. Timmer, who is staying at a secure concrete structure in the area, reported earlier Wednesday from the northern eye wall of Delta and reported sand was getting whipped into the air as the hurricane moved over land. Power outages were also occurring in downtown Cancun, he said. Watch a video from Timmer below.
Hurricane Delta has forced the upcoming football game between LSU and Missouri to switch times and locations. According to ESPN, the game, originally scheduled to take place in Baton Rouge at 8 p.m. local time Saturday, will now move to Columbia, Missouri, and be played at 12 p.m ET Saturday. Delta is forecast to approach the Louisiana coast late Friday and move inland with a heavy, drenching rain across the Southeast through the weekend. The weather for Saturday in Columbia is looking much more optimal for football with temperatures in the mid-80s and plenty of sun in the forecast.
Hurricane Delta made landfall along the northeastern coast of the Yucatan Peninsula near Puerto Morales this morning with Category 2 wind speeds. According to the National Hurricane Center, the center of Delta moved over land around 5:30 a.m., CDT, with estimated maximum sustained winds of 110 mph. As of 5:45 a.m., CDT, the storm is located about 20 miles south of Cancun.
In the 1 a.m. CDT update, the National Hurricane Center found Delta to have lost a bit more wind intensity. With sustained winds of 120 mph, Delta is now a dangerous Category 3 (111-129 mph) hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. Despite its change in wind speeds, Delta will remain a 4 on the AccuWeather RealImpact™ Scale for Hurricanes for the northeastern Yucatan Peninsula based on anticipated life-threatening storm surge, damaging wind gusts and flooding rainfall.
Hurricane Delta churns east of the Yucatan Peninsula Tuesday evening. (NOAA/GOES-East).
The National Hurricane Center said in its 10 p.m., CDT, update that maximum sustained winds were now 130 mph. Although Delta has lost a bit of wind intensity in the last few hours, it is still expected to make landfall over the Yucatan Peninsula as a dangerous Category 3 (111-129 mph) or Category 4 (130-156 mph) hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. As of 10 p.m. CDT, Delta was located about 135 miles east-southeast of Cozumel, Mexico, with a forward speed of 16 mph. A Hurricane Warning remains in effect for Cozumel, Mexico, and from Tulum to Dzilam, Mexico. Delta is a 4 on the AccuWeather RealImpact™ Scale for Hurricanes in the northeastern Yucatan Peninsula.
Forecasters expect Hurricane Delta to slam into beach resorts from Tulum to Cozumel with storm surge and high waves. Strong, destructive winds will impact the northern Yucatan Peninsula Tuesday night into Wednesday morning. Winds will be strong enough to cause damage while leading to power outages that last for several days. Once Delta passes Mexico, the storm is forecast to bring 4 to 8 inches of rain to the central Gulf Coast this weekend with higher amounts of up to 12 inches possible in some locations.
Officials in the city of Orange Beach, Alabama, are providing sand and sandbags for residents in preparation for Hurricane Delta. The city is still recovering and picking up the pieces after Hurricane Sally caused immense devastation in the area less than one month ago. Sally left widespread damage around the town, including boats washed onto roadways, homes damaged and a boardwalk ripped apart. Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey has declared a state of emergency in advance of Hurricane Delta.
The National Hurricane Center said in its 8 p.m. EDT update that maximum sustained winds were 145 mph. Delta was getting closer to the Yucatan Peninsula, as it was about 215 miles east-southeast of Cozumel, Mexico. The storm's forward speed remained the same at 17 mph. A Hurricane Warning is in effect for Tulum and Cozumel, Mexico. The National Hurricane Center said Delta is "expected to bring a life-threatening storm surge and extreme winds." Delta is a four on the AccuWeather RealImpact™ Scale for Hurricanes in the northeastern Yucatan Peninsula.
The hurricane track map sparked Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey to issue mandatory evacuations for visitors and tourists in Dauphin Island, Fort Morgan, Orange Beach, Gulf Shores and Ono Island after declaring the State of Emergency for the state. Grand Isle, Louisiana, Mayor David Camardelle ordered a mandatory evacuation for campers, recreation vehicles and boats due to potential coastal flooding from Delta. Officials in Port Fourchon said the town was moving to a Storm Phase 2 voluntary evacuation due to tropical storm winds expected in the next 72 hours. "The Port Commission is keeping an eye on the development of Hurricane Delta, which is forecast to approach the northern Gulf of Mexico region as a strong storm later this week," officials said. "Due to the uncertainty of Delta’s track and magnitude, we ask that port tenants and users be alert for updates and prepared for things to change or progress quickly."
On Tuesday, Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards declared a state of emergency ahead of Hurricane Delta as it barrels toward the state. Edwards said Delta an "incredibly dangerous storm that will bring heavy winds, rain and life-threatening flooding and storm surge to coastal Louisiana.” While it is too early to predict a precise landfall for Delta along the U.S. Gulf Coast, the latest eye path forecast from AccuWeather for Delta has it tracking toward the central Louisiana coast by Friday before it moves inland over Mississippi and northern Alabama over the weekend.
The Cayman Islands will avoid the worst of Hurricane Delta as the menacing storm remains to the southwest of the islands on a path toward Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula. Although the country's government recently discontinued all tropical storm warnings, the island chain isn't totally out of the woods yet. Delta will continue to stir up rough surf and bring heavy rain to portions of the area through Wednesday. Watch a video below of angry seas whipped up by Delta near the islands on Tuesday.
Winds continue to increase in the heart of Hurricane Delta with maximum sustained winds clocking in at 145 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center’s 5 p.m. EDT update on the storm. Delta is still a potent Category 4 storm, but if winds reach 157 mph, it would be upgraded to a Category 5, the highest rating on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. The eye of Delta is very small, measuring just five miles in diameter. The Grand Canyon is more than three times wider than Delta's eye with the world-famous canyon reaching 18 miles across.
If Delta intensifies into a Category 5 hurricane, it would be the first Category 5 storm of the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season. It would also make 2020 the fifth consecutive year where there was a Category 5 hurricane in the basin, starting with Matthew in 2016, followed by Irma and Maria in 2017, Michael in 2018 and Dorian and Lorenzo in 2019.
Along the northeastern tip of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula from Tulum to Cancun, communities that are still drenched from the remnants of Tropical Storm Gamma are preparing for Hurricane Delta. Residents in Cancun flocked to supermarkets and gas stations to scramble for last-minute necessities as the powerful storm approaches. Boat owners waited in lines at public ramps to pull their boats out of the water, The Associated Press reported. On Tuesday, tourists and residents started evacuating from coastal areas along Riviera Maya. Quintana Roo Gov. Carlos Joaquin announced that hotels in Cancun and Puerto Morelos were busing their guests inland to government shelters. Some tourists were allowed to stay at their hotels if the structures were rated for major hurricanes. There are currently 40,900 tourists in all of Quintana Roo, State Tourism Minister Marisol Vanegas said.
Men board up a Telcel phone store as Hurricane Delta approaches Puerto Juarez, Cancun, Mexico, Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2020. (AP Photo/Victor Ruiz Garcia)
Ferocious Hurricane Delta is only getting more dangerous.The National Hurricane Center said in its 2 p.m. EDT update that maximum sustained winds were up to 140 mph. Delta was getting closer to the Yucatan Peninsula, as it was about 260 miles east-southeast of Cozumel, Mexico. The storm's forward speed remained the same at 16 mph. The government of the Cayman Islands discontinued the tropical storm warning for all of the Cayman Islands, the NHC said, as the storm continues to pass to the southwest of the islands.
Delta intensifies over the northern Caribbean on Tuesday, October, 6, 2020. (Image/CIRA RAMMB)
Less than a month after Hurricane Sally ripped through the Alabama Gulf Coast, the state is getting ready once again for impacts from a dangerous hurricane. On Tuesday afternoon, Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey issued a state of emergency to help kickstart preparation efforts for the state. "As our coastal areas are still recovering from #HurricaneSally, another system, #HurricaneDelta, is making its way toward the Gulf Coast and could potentially have a significant impact on AL," Ivey said on Twitter.
Sally struck the Alabama coast as a Category 2 storm early on Sept. 16 after making landfall near the town of Gulf Shores. While it is too early to predict a precise landfall for Delta along the U.S. Gulf Coast, the latest eye path forecast from AccuWeather for Delta has it tracking toward the central Louisiana coast by Friday before it moves inland over Mississippi and northern Alabama over the weekend.
Hurricane Delta on Tuesday became the first Atlantic tropical system in more than a decade to strengthen as rapidly as it did. Delta's intensification was the most extreme in 15 years for an October hurricane. The storm's maximum sustained winds increased by a whopping 70 mph — from 40 mph to 110 mph — in its first 24 hours as a named storm. Only Hurricane Wilma in 2005 exploded in a more significant fashion over that same 24-hour period, according to Philip Klotzbach, a meteorologist at Colorado State University who specializes in Atlantic basin hurricanes.That infamous storm saw an increase of 110 mph in sustained winds during its first 24 hours, Klotzbach pointed out, with winds going from 75 mph, barely above hurricane force, to 185 mph, far above the Category 5 threshold.
