After being downgraded into a tropical storm after it made landfall in the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico, Zeta has once again regained strength and was named a hurricane, Wednesday.
Hurricane Zeta is said to be leading towards a projected landfall in the Gulf Coast of the US as stated by the National Hurricane Center (NHC).
The NHC also stated that as of 1 CDT, Hurricane Zeta's maximum sustained winds are at 75mph which qualifies it was a weak Category 1 hurricane. However, the center also cautioned of possible strengthening as it approaches the shore.
Before it moved towards the US, the then tropical storm was moving northwest from the Gulf of Mexico at 15mph, Fox News reported.
In addition, the NHC stated that life-threatening storm surges and possible extreme hurricane conditions should be expected in the north part of the Gulf Coast late on Wednesday. Hurricane and storm surge warnings have been placed due to this.
The hurricane center also advised all residents in the affected area to follow any advice by the hurricane officials.
NHC has also extended the hurricane warnings from Morgan City in Louisiana, to the border of Mississippi and Alabama. The places under a hurricane watch include Lake Maurepas, Lake Pontchartrain, and the metropolitan New Orleans.
In light of the current situation, Yahoo! News reported that Gov. John Bel Edwards of Louisiana declared an emergency ahead of the storm hit.
Meanwhile, people including commercial fishermen have already started their hurricane preparation ritual which they have become familiar with the past months.
Just this year. Louisiana has already faced a2 tropical storms and was hit by two hurricanes. In August, Hurricane Laura struck and caused at least 27 deaths in the state. Delta, on the other hand, came just a few weeks later and caused more damage.
Read also: Storm Zeta May Strengthen To a Hurricane as It Approaches the US Gulf Coast Midweek
Power lines and trees are at risk of going down in places near Hurricane Zeta is expected to landfall early on Wednesday afternoon. There have also been warnings of possible isolated tornadoes within the week.
In addition, the central portions of the Gulf Coast are also expected to experience severe rainfalls between Tuesday night until Thursday, as Hurricane Zeta approached. The rain is also stated to likely cause flooding according to the NHC, USA Today reported.
Hurricane Zeta has already become the 27th storm to hit in one of the busiest hurricane seasons in the Atlantic. It has also broken the record for the earliest 27th named storm in the Atlantic, the last one happened on Nov. 29,2005. It is also the 11th hurricane seen by the Atlantic, which sees an average of six hurricanes and 12 named storms a year.
Due to the high number of storms this season, the NHC has already resorted to naming them from the Greek alphabet after they exhausted the assigned names. Hurricane Zeta is also the furthest that the Atlantic season has gone into the Greek alphabet.
In 2007, there was also a Tropical storm that was named Zeta.
The hurricane season in the Atlantic is expected to end on November 30.
Related article: Hurricane Zeta: Lousianna Gears Up for Another Possibly Destructive Hurricane
