Louisiana Governor Declares the Storm State of Emergency Before Hurricane Zeta Arrival as It Approaches Gulf Coast

The governor of Louisiana has declared a storm state of emergency before Hurricane Zeta's arrival, is seen approaching the Gulf Coast.

As the hurricane gets closer, the state scrambles to prepare for the worst potential impacts as it continues to work on repairs from the damages wrought by Hurricane Laura and Hurricane Delta.

Hurricane watch in effect

According to the NHC or National Hurricane Center, areas from the City of Morgan to the border of Alabama and Mississippi are now under a hurricane watch. These include the following areas: metropolitan New Orleans, Lake Maurepas, and Lake Pontchartrain.

The locations west and east of the areas under hurricane watch are now under a tropical storm watch. These include areas at the border of Mississippi and Alabama up to the Walton/Okaloosa County Florida line and west of Morgan's city up to Louisiana's Intracoastal City.

READ: Hurricane Delta Claims One Louisiana Mortality; Threatens the Carolinas with Tornadoes

Governor's declaration

According to John Bel Edwards, the Louisiana governor, they must roll up their sleeves as they always have to prepare for the hurricane's impact. 

He declared a state of emergency last Monday before Zeta's arrival, activating over 1,150 National Guardsmen of the state. He also revealed that they had pre-positioned various helicopters, boats, and high-water vehicles for the next search and rescue operations.

Active hurricane season

This year, the hurricane season has been very active and could set a record for the state. Hurricane Zeta has been forecast to arrive with hurricane strength or near-hurricane strength this coming Wednesday. Once it does, this will be the new record for the most named hurricanes and storms in Louisiana within a single season.

According to Governor Edwards, it is both good and evil that they have had plenty of practice.

Once Hurricane Zeta arrives, it will be the fifth this year, after Cristobal, then Laura, and Marco, then Delta. It would also tie Louisiana with Florida's 2005 experience as having the most number of landfalls in a state within a single season.

READ ALSO: 2020 Disasters: Hurricanes, Heatwaves, Wildfires, and Drought, Cost US $16 Billion

Zeta' status

Edwards says that Zeta is expected to have its landfall on the Gulf by the middle of the week, giving them several days for preparations. Even with the ongoing pandemic, the governor says it is something that they can handle. 

By the afternoon of Monday, Zeta has been closer than a hundred miles southeast from Cozumel in Mexico and moved northwest with a ten mph speed. The maximum sustained winds are currently at 80 mph. This makes the hurricane the eleventh this season.

According to the National Hurricane Center, hurricane conditions and a possible storm surge that is life-threatening could occur along with several parts north of the Gulf Coast by Wednesday. The Center advises that the residents within the areas under watch must follow the advice of local officials.

All this occurs as the state still recovers from the damages brought by the past storms, even as Louisiana braces for Hurricane Zeta currently at the Gulf Coast, expecting the worst while under a state of emergency.

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