Now A Hurricane, Zeta Is On Track To Hit Louisiana On Wednesday

Hurricane Zeta is forecast to make landfall in Louisiana on Wednesday night.

National Hurricane Center

Zeta has officially strengthened into a hurricane, and is predicted to make landfall late Monday on Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula before setting its sights on the U.S.

Louisiana is directly in the path of Hurricane Zeta, which is expected to make landfall there on Wednesday night. If it does so, it would be the fifth named storm to make landfall in the state during a single year — the highest number since the state started keeping records in 1851, state climatologist Barry Keim told The Times-Picayune. (A few other storms have crossed into Louisiana after making landfall in other states.)

Gov. John Bel Edwards has declared a state of emergency in advance of the hurricane. The storm is currently expected to bring 2-4 inches of rain across southeast Louisiana, but the greatest threat will come from high winds, Edwards said Monday.