Hurricane Delta Strengthens A Little More
MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Hurricane Delta has strengthened a little more.
As of 11 p.m. Thursday, Delta's center was about 285 miles south of Cameron, Louisiana.
Delta is moving toward the north-northwest near 12 mph.
A turn toward the north is forecast overnight, followed by a north-northeastward motion Friday and Friday night.
On the forecast track, the center of Delta will move over the northwestern Gulf of Mexico on Friday, and then move inland within the hurricane warning area Friday afternoon or Friday night.
Maximum sustained winds have increased to near 120 mph with higher gusts. Delta is a category 3 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. Some slight additional strengthening is possible overnight.
Weakening is expected to begin as Delta approaches the northern Gulf coast on Friday, with rapid weakening expected after the center moves inland.
Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 40 miles from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 160 miles.
A Storm Surge Warning is in effect for:
- High Island, Texas to Ocean Springs Mississippi including Calcasieu Lake, Vermilion Bay, Lake Pontchartrain, Lake Maurepas, and Lake Borgne
A Hurricane Warning is in effect for:
- High Island, Texas to Morgan City Louisiana
A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for:
- West of High Island to San Luis Pass, Texas
- East of Morgan City, Louisiana to the mouth of the Pearl River, including New Orleans
- Lake Pontchartrain and Lake Maurepas
A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for:
- East of the mouth of the Pearl River to Bay St. Louis Mississippi
Friday through Saturday, Delta is expected to produce 5 to 10 inches of rain, with isolated totals of up to 15 inches, for southwest into south central Louisiana. These rainfall amounts will lead to significant flash, urban, small stream flooding, along with minor to isolated moderate river flooding.
For extreme east Texas into northern Louisiana, southern Arkansas and western Mississippi, Delta is expected to produce 3 to 6 inches of rain, with isolated maximum totals of 10 inches. These rainfall amounts will lead to flash, urban, small stream and isolated minor river flooding.
