MIAMI (BLOOMBERG, REUTERS) - Hurricane Delta is poised to menace Louisiana after barrelling across Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, where it knocked out power and slammed the resort areas of Cancun and Cozumel with strong winds and a dangerous storm surge.
Delta threatens to become the latest in a string of deadly natural disasters in 2020, a year that has been marked by a hyperactive hurricane season, devastating wildfires and a derecho storm system that wreaked havoc across the US Midwest. They're further evidence that the Earth's climate is changing, bringing hotter temperatures, stronger storms and more widespread destruction.
Delta will churn through the energy-producing region of the Gulf before likely pummelling Louisiana, which has been struck twice already this year, on Friday (Oct 9). Though Delta has weakened to a Category 1 hurricane, it's expected to strengthen before coming ashore again, the National Hurricane Centre said.
The hurricane was located about 935 kilometres south-southeast of Cameron, Louisiana, packing maximum sustained winds of 140 km per hour, the Miami-based weather forecaster said on Wednesday (Oct 7).
"Re-strengthening is forecast when the hurricane moves over the southern and central Gulf of Mexico through Thursday, and Delta is expected to become a major hurricane again," the NHC said.
Delta will be the record 10th tropical storm or hurricane to hit the US in a year. The Atlantic has spawned 25 storms this year, the second most after 2005, when deadly Hurricane Katrina inundated New Orleans. So many have formed that the hurricane centre has used up all the names on its official list and has resorted to the Greek alphabet to designate systems.
Delta's loss in power has cut damage estimates for the resort areas of Cancun and Cozumel, said Chuck Watson, a disaster modeller with Enki Research. The storm will likely cause about US$4 billion (S$5.45 billion) in losses and destruction to the region and US$3 billion in Louisiana, he said.
Delta will likely make landfall between Lake Charles and Lafayette, Louisiana, said Todd Crawford, chief meteorologist for the Weather Company, an IBM business. That would be just east of where Hurricane Laura came ashore in August as the strongest storm to hit that area since 1856.
Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards said he is worried that Hurricane Delta could drift west to hit areas heavily damaged by Hurricane Laura.
"If this hurricane comes into southwest Louisiana on a track that is similar to Laura it will be very devastating," Edwards said during a Wednesday news conference from the State Capitol in Baton Rouge.
Laura was the first category 4 hurricane - packing winds of at 209kph - to slam into southwest Louisiana.
Edwards said he requested a pre-landfall disaster declaration from the White House and received a phone call from President Donald Trump.
"He called and said he would be doing that," Edwards said.
A disaster declaration sends several federal agencies to help with recovery efforts and enables residents in a disaster area to access federal programs to help with rebuilding.
