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In August, Hurricane Laura made landfall near Cameron Parish, Louisiana. The storm claimed some 15 lives, displaced thousands of people, and left countless others without power for weeks. This all happened in the midst of a historic storm season that had already seen two other named storms ravage Louisiana. Not to mention, the region was already reeling from the economic damage and health impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Adding on to that, Hurricane Delta seems to be aimed squarely at Cameron Parish. The storm is forecast to make landfall in the region at Category 2, making it a full-fledged hurricane with life-threatening consequences.
Like Laura before it, Delta seems poised to bring devastating storm surge and rainfall to the low-lying regions near the shore.
Delta is likely to make landfall sometime Friday morning. The parish has issued an evacuation order for much of the region. Officials in the parish noted that this is especially difficult for many who are still reeling from Laura.
Several people lost homes in that storm and have already been displaced. Now, with yet another storm looming, the region wearily prepares for another bout with the fury of the ocean.
Meteorologists are calling for as much as eleven feet of storm surge in parts of Louisiana. This is a terrifying prospect for those near the shore, as it means that smaller structures and even cars could be swept up by the water. Needless to say, a person caught in that storm surge would be in serious danger.
Compounding that storm surge flooding, Delta could bring as much as ten inches of rain to the region. That, combined with the storm surge, means that rivers and streams in the region are likely to jump their banks. This could cause further flooding deeper inland.
Delta broke records and made history already as one of the fastest storms to reach Category 4 in October. It is also the fastest storm to be named twenty-fifth in a season, and only the second storm to ever be named Delta.
The name “Delta” comes from the NOAA’s backup list of tropical storm names, which is used when the alphabetic names are exhausted. Delta is the fourth name on that list.
The storm has already caused damage in Mexico, where it made landfall over the Yucatan Peninsula. Should the storm’s name need to be retired, it will be added ceremonially to the list of retired names at the end of the season.
However, the name “Delta” with the year of the storm will still be used in the future if needed.
