Hurricane Delta is now a Category 4 storm, and Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey has declared a state of emergency as the hurricane is forecast to hit Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula and then the Gulf Coast.
The National Hurricane Center said the storm has rapidly strengthened into maximum sustained winds of 140 mph.
Forecasters expect Delta will pick up its pace as it approaches the Yucatan Peninsula and western Cuba on Tuesday, but even landfall isn’t expected to slow it down for long.
“Some reduction in intensity is likely when Delta moves over land, but the environmental conditions over the southern Gulf of Mexico are expected to support re-strengthening, and the NHC intensity forecast shows a second peak in 48-72 hours,” forecasters wrote.
Delta could even strengthen into a Category 4 hurricane briefly in the open waters as it continues on track toward the Gulf Coast, possibly Louisiana. The storm is expected to weaken to a Cat 3 hurricane in the slightly cooler waters before making landfall somewhere along the northern Gulf Coast although forecasters warn there is still a “large uncertainty” in its track and forecast.
What forecasters say they do know is that Delta could bring dangerous storm surge, wind and hazardous rainfall anywhere from Louisiana to the western Florida Panhandle beginning Thursday night or Friday. The potential for heavy rain and flash flooding will also increase across portions of the central Gulf Coast, Tennessee Valley and southeastern United States as Delta moves inland later this week.
“Residents in these areas should ensure they have their hurricane plan in place and monitor updates to the forecast of Delta.”
Delta was quickly moving toward the west-northwest at 16 mph and was about 320 miles east-southeast of Cozumel, Mexico, and about 120 miles south of Grand Cayman early Tuesday, according to the hurricane center.
The northern Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico and extreme western Cuba will likely see a dangerous storm surge and hurricane conditions beginning Tuesday night.
If the storm crosses the Yucatan Peninsula as a Category 4 hurricane Wednesday morning, as is forecast, it would be the second storm to cross the region mere days after Tropical Storm Gamma killed at least six people.
Delta is the earliest 25th named storm to form in the Atlantic, beating the old record of Nov. 15, 2005, according to Colorado State University hurricane researcher Phil Klotzbach.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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