As Hurricane Zeta ravaged the Gulf Coast, it left behind a trail of at least six dead people and cut off the power supply of two million people on Thursday before it headed northeast.
A 55-year-old man in New Orleans was considered the first victim of Hurricane Zeta. According to the Department of Health of Louisianna, the man was electrocuted by a downed power line.
The death of the New Orleans man was then followed by four more deaths in Georgia and Alabama as a result of trees falling and crashing down on homes, based on information from fire officials of Gwinnett County.
In addition, in Mississippi, a 58-year-old man drowned after being trapped in the midst of rising seawater while taking a video of the storm.
In less than four days since it brewed in the Caribbean Sea, Zeta transformed from a tropical storm to a Category 2 hurricane, which is considered damaging. Zeta initially struck the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico and spun towards the Gulf Coast of the US which was just recovering from several hurricanes that passed, USA Today reported.
Hurricane Zeta left behind a path of destruction as flooded streets, ripped off roofs, and knocked down power lines resulting in power outages affecting millions of citizens in Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi. Moreover, Eastern Tennessee and the Carolinas also experienced heavy rainfall.
In addition, several polling places, including those in northern Georgia were also affected by the power outages from the storm. However, state officials were unable to verify if how many of the statewide early voting locations delayed in opening or closed due to the power outages. It was also noted that all six polling locations in the western suburbs of Atlanta in Douglas county were without power.
Read also: Hurricane Zeta Makes Landfall, Batters the Southeast and Barrels Through the Coast
The storm also affected voting places in Alabama, Florida, and Mississippi,
According to the National Hurricane Center (NHC), Zeta made landfall near Cocodrie, Louisiana with maximum sustained winds of 110 mph, Wednesday afternoon.
Several areas along the Gulf Coast endured a ferocious hit from the hurricane. In a statement, Mike Smith, mayor of Waveland, Mississippi stated that their town has suffered the worst storm it has gone through since Katrina in 2005.
According to Reuters, there were also footage showing how roods were torn of large homes in Louisiana. Several videos also showed downed utility including electric poles and wires.
In view of the incident, Grand Isle Mayor David Camardelle stated that the storm is really taking a toll on the Gulf Coast,
"We're really getting beat. We're looking at wind over 100 (mph) for sure," the mayor stated.
As of the moment, Zeta is already the 27th named storm of an Atlantic hurricane season that has become historical and is still expected to last for more than a month. Zeta is also the 11th storm or hurricane to hit the US this year, which is also an all-time record for the country, Fox News reported.
While the country is still trying to recover from hurricane Zeta, forecasters are already monitoring an area in the Caribbean showing a disturbing weather condition which can possibly develop into a tropical depression just over the weekend.
Related article: Hurricane Zeta: Life-threatening Storms Expected in the Gulf Coast as It Regains Strength
