Hurricane Zeta hits southern US
NEW ORLEANS: Hurricane Zeta barrelled through the southern United States as a Category 2 storm, bringing dangerous winds and surging ocean waves as New Orleans residents were left without power.
Zeta, which was downgraded to a tropical storm early yesterday, would “continue to spread well inland across portions of northeastern Alabama, northern Georgia, the Carolinas and southeastern Virginia”, according to the National Hurricane Centre.
It was packing maximum sustained wind speeds of 95kph, the centre said.
Early yesterday, New Orleans mayor LaToya Cantrell said the city was dealing with many downed power lines.
“Downed lines can be energised and are VERY dangerous,” she tweeted. “Please continue to stay inside and let public safety officials respond to #Zeta hazards.”
The city emergency medical service tweeted that there had been one “electrocution fatality” from a downed power line.
Mississippi governor Tate Reeves had signed an emergency declaration ahead of Zeta’s approach on Wednesday, and Alabama governor Kay Ivey took to Twitter to advise state residents to prepare for the storm and “listen to all local advice”.
Hurricane and storm surge warnings were lifted for Louisiana, but governor John Bel Edwards urged people to stay inside.
“Today has been hard,” he tweeted. “As we continue to weather #Zeta and feel its effects, everyone needs to keep listening to their local leaders and follow any curfews that may be in place.”
Heavy wind and sheets of rain cut through New Orleans, and power outages were reported in various areas.
Edwards said in an earlier radio interview that nearly 500,000 were without power in the state, including 78% of New Orleans.
Officials had urged residents to evacuate vulnerable areas or stock up on emergency supplies of food, water and medication for at least three days.
Zeta hit just six days before the presidential election but it was not expected to affect the outcome, with early voting in Louisiana already finished.
As rainfall and winds began ahead of the storm’s arrival, New Orleans residents rushed to prepare, boarding up windows, moving vehicles and boats to higher ground and in some cases stacking sandbags to guard against potential flooding.
The hurricane was the fifth major storm to hit Louisiana this year.