Hurricane Delta has made landfall near Creole, Louisiana, as a Category 2 hurricane, but as it's moved inland, it has weakened to a Category 1 storm.
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According to the National Hurricane Center, the storm made landfall at 6 p.m. CT with maximum sustained winds of 100 mph.
A Florida Coastal Monitoring Tower near Lake Arthur, Louisiana, sustained wind of 77 mph and a gust to 96 mph, the NHC said.
A NOAA National Weather Service water level gauge at Freshwater Canal Locks, Louisiana, recently reported a storm surge of over 8 feet above ground level.
Louisiana has taken the brunt of the impact of the 2020 hurricane season. Hurricanes Marco and Laura have already made landfall in the state, causing inland flooding and significant damage along the coast. Hurricane Sally also did significant damage nearby Gulf Shores, Alabama, when it made landfall in September.
The Associated Press reports that Delta marks the sixth time this year that evacuations have been ordered from Louisiana's barrier islands.
After making landfall this afternoon, forecasters expect Delta to move north and dump heavy rain on the rest of Louisiana before moving west into Mississippi on Saturday.
