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Hurricane Delta just hours from US landfall (with forecast video)

Portions of the Gulf Coast bracing for impact

Nick Austin
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(Photo: NOAA)

Hurricane Delta is closing in on the Gulf Coast, eyeing landfall early Friday evening in southwestern Louisiana.

The high-end Category 2 storm is packing sustained winds of 110 mph, spinning 80 miles offshore. Tropical-storm-force winds and heavy rainfall have been slamming the Upper Texas and Louisiana coastlines. The rainfall, plus “life-threatening storm surge” as described by the National Hurricane Center, will lead to significant flooding.

As of Friday afternoon, no sections of Interstate 10 have been closed ahead of the storm.

The U.S. Coast Guard has set restrictions at some ports in the impact zone.


The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has temporarily waived hours-of-service (HIS) regulations for drivers wanting to directly help with Delta’s relief and recovery efforts.

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Nick Austin

Nick is a meteorologist with 20 years of forecasting and broadcasting experience. He was nominated for a Midsouth Emmy for his coverage during a 2008 western Tennessee tornado outbreak. He received his Bachelor of Science in Meteorology from Florida State University, as well as a Bachelor of Science in Management from the Georgia Tech. Nick is a member of the American Meteorological Society and National Weather Association. As a member of the weather team at WBBJ-TV in Jackson, Tennessee, Nick was nominated for a Mid-South Emmy for live coverage of a major tornado outbreak in February 2008. As part of the weather team at WRCB-TV in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Nick shared the Chattanooga Times-Free Press Best of the Best award for “Best Weather Team” eight consecutive years.