"Life-threatening" storm surge as Hurricane Delta makes landfall in the United States

 

Hurricane Delta became the tenth of its kind in a year to make landfall in the United States, which meteorologists said was a record.

Lake Charles:

Hurricane Delta made landfall on the Louisiana coast, causing high winds and a "life-threatening" storm surge - and driven residents still rebuilding from a devastating storm less than two months ago.

The delta has become the 10th most important storm of the year to make landfall in the United States, which meteorologists said is a record.

It landed on shore on Friday near Creole, Louisiana as a Category 2 storm on a five-point scale, with winds of 100 mph (160 kilometers per hour), before weakening to a tropical storm early Saturday.

"Devastating winds and life-threatening storms continue over parts of southern Louisiana," the Miami-based National Hurricane Center said, adding that one monitoring site reported a gust of eight feet (2.4 meters) above the ground.

Delta - whose announcement the NHC said was weak to a tropical storm early Saturday - has caused widespread power outages in the state.

In Lake Charles, a city in southwestern Louisiana severely affected by Hurricane Laura on August 20, streets were deserted on Friday with continuous rain before the delta arrived.

The city is still in chaos from the more powerful Laura, who was a Class 4, ripping off rooftops and uprooted trees. The rubble is still full of the streets.

“I don't even know if we have a home when we come back,” said resident Kimberly Hester.

"I simply pray every night until we can at least go home."

Arthur Durham, 56, was finishing plywood covering windows in his home as protection from flying debris.

"I stayed for the last time. I am well prepared. I have a backup generator, tools and equipment ... I am somewhat self-sufficient," he told AFP, adding: "I got used to this."

Hit the American Gulf

Earlier, Louisiana Governor John Bill Edwards announced that 2,400 National Guard personnel had been mobilized to assist the local population.

Late on Thursday, he said Hurricane Delta would hit "the area of ​​our state that is least prepared to endure."

On Lake Charles, Shannon Fusilier carved plywood into the windows of a friend's house.

Many of the neighborhood's homes were covered in cloth from previous hurricane damage, and the house Fuselier was working in had already had roof damage from a fallen tree and shattered windows during the Laura.

"The branches and leaves don't cause that much damage," said Fuseliere, 56, "bits of metal and steel, other people's window frames, signs from people's shops, and nails."

Fusilier said she was staying because she did not think the storm was strong enough to escape.

Edwards has already warned that Delta could clear old debris and spew it out like missiles.

Traffic jammed on Thursday as people left Lake Charles.

Terry Libin was evacuated to Alexandria, about 100 miles (150 kilometers) to the north, during the previous hurricane, and was ready to head out again.