Zeta has re-strengthened into a hurricane and is expected to bring a life-threatening storm surge and strong winds to southeastern Louisiana starting midday Wednesday.
The storm was 320 miles south-southwest of the mouth of the Mississippi River and 355 miles south-southwest of New Orleans by 4 a.m. Wednesday, the National Hurricane Center reported.
Zeta has maximum sustained winds of 85 mph and is moving north-northwest at 17 mph.
Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards asked President Donald Trump for a disaster declaration ahead of the storm. He and Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey both declared emergencies, as did Mayor Andrew “FoFo” Gilich in Biloxi, Mississippi. Trump declared an emergency for Louisiana Tuesday evening.
Parts of Louisiana and Mississippi are under hurricane warnings, including metropolitan New Orleans.
A tropical storm warning along the coast of the Florida panhandle has been extended eastward to the Walton/Bay County Line.
Zeta raked across the Yucatan Peninsula Tuesday, striking as a hurricane, before weakening to a tropical storm.
Within portions of the Hurricane Warning area, between Morgan City, La., and the Mississippi, Alabama border, hurricane conditions are expected, including damaging winds.
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Heavy rainfall is expected from the Central Gulf Coast into the Tennessee Valley.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.