Hurricane Delta hits the U.S. Gulf Coast as a Cat 3
As the 10th storm to hit the U.S. this year, Hurricane Delta breaks a 104-year-old record for the most named storms in a season.
Hurricane Delta, a record 10th named storm to make landfall in the U.S. this season, arrived on Louisiana’s shores early Friday (Oct. 9) morning, bringing tropical-storm-force winds and flooding rains that have already forced road closures.
On Oct. 9, Louisiana Governor John Edwards warned residents to stay off the roads and to heed instructions from local officials, as the Category 3 storm will continue to impact the state throughout the day and into the weekend.
Officials warn the extent of Delta’s damage may be amplified as it moves through communities affected by Hurricane Laura just weeks ago.
New analysis from CoreLogic measures Delta’s property threat to American property owners and communities. According to CoreLogic, approximately 293,685 homes across Louisiana and the U.S. Gulf Coast are at potential risk of storm surge damage from Hurricane Delta. These at-risk single and multi-family homes have a collective reconstruction cost value (RCV) of approximately $62.85 billion.
CoreLogic’s projections were based on the storm’s projected Category 2 status at landfall and a forecast from the National Hurricane Center on October 7. The storm has since upgraded to Category 3 status.
“After battering the Yucatán Peninsula near Cancún, Mexico, Hurricane Delta is headed for the Gulf Coast just weeks after Hurricane Laura brought significant wind and storm surge damage to the Texas and Louisiana coastlines,” Curtis McDonald, meteorologist and senior product manager of CoreLogic, said in a statement.
“Residents in these coastal areas are already trying to recover from their losses and are now faced with a second substantial storm. This season has been relentless, and Louisianans should be prepared for the long recovery road ahead.”
Monitoring Delta’s path
Delta hit Mexico earlier this week as a Category 2 storm with maximum sustained winds of 115 miles per hour, the National Hurricane Center reported. Storm surge along the northern coast of the Yucatan Peninsula raised water levels by 8-12 feet as Delta traveled through the region.
Property damage has since been reported in affected towns located between Cancun and Playa del Carmen, with images depicting downed power lines, flooding and structural damage to roadways and businesses.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
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