Tropical storm Delta has made landfall as a Category 2 hurricane, and more than 5 million people were under flash flood warnings across the lower Mississippi River Valley. The hurricane continued to drench the Southeast.
Tropical storm Delta
Delta, now categorized as a tropical storm, made its landfall in Louisiana over a foot of rain. The powerful winds that came with it affected the communities already affected by Hurricane Laura just a few weeks ago.
Nearly 730,000 homes and businesses along the Gulf Coast were without any power, according to poweroutage.us, and the local government was still looking for ways to bring it back on.
Following the heavy rain brought by Delta, flash flood emergencies were also issued as parts of southwest Louisiana received up to 17 inches of water.
Also Read: Hurricane Watch: Delta Starts Rampage on Gulf Coast, Preparations Rushed to Completion
Mayor Nic Hunter of Lake Charles said that the experience felt like a "deja vu." He rode out the storm in a downtown building. He told KPLC on October 9 that they are keeping their hopes up despite being tired as they know that "the sun will come out again." He added that their main concern right now is the safety of the public and human life.
Heavy rain and flooding remain as the main concern for the rest of the southern Mississippi River Valley and Tennessee Valley. Parts of the Southeast could experience rainfall that will amount to more than 8 inches before the weekend is over.
According to the National Hurricane Center, tornadoes are possible on October 10 over parts of southern Louisiana and Mississippi and over Alabama, Tennessee, and the western Florida Panhandle.
Double trouble for Louisiana
Mayor Hunter said on October 9 that the city is preparing for the floodwaters that Delta could leave behind while dealing with the wind destruction caused by Hurricane Laura.
Mayor Hunter said that they were aware that more flooding would happen with Delta than Laura, and the search and rescue operations are slated to begin once the winds die down.
However, the mayor said he was unsure how many people stayed behind to wait until the storm subsides. Highways out of Lake Charles were jam-packed as people evacuated ahead of the storm, and another 7,000 were still displaced since Laura, according to the mayor's estimate.
Around 10 miles west in Sulphur, Louisiana, one resident posted images of flooded streets and warned of fallen trees as well as debris that had been strewn by the wind, and they were now underwater.
Hurricane Delta is now the 25th named storm of the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season. The hurricane first hit Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula on October 7, wherein it brought the flood and downed power lines before it traveled to the U.S. coast.
On October 9, the storm made landfall with winds around 100 mph near Creole, Louisiana, just miles away from where the deadly Hurricane Laura slammed coastal communities weeks ago.
Hurricane Delta is considered as the fifth hurricane to make landfall in the country this year, and it is the most number of storms in a year since 2005.
Related Article: Hurricane Watch: Delta Landfalls, Winds Weakening After it Reaches Coast