Hurricane Delta Will Arrive Earlier Than Expected, Will Likely Impact Acadiana Regardless Of Shift
Even though we still aren't 100% sure where Delta is going just yet, Acadiana should expect to be affected.
According to our media partners in the KATC Storm Team 3 Weather Lab, Hurricane Delta weakened a bit as it made landfall over the Yucatan Peninsula but don't let that tidbit of information mislead you—it will definitely strengthen up over the next day or so as it rolls through the warm Gulf waters.
As of now, Delta seems to be on a path that will affect the Acadiana area after it makes landfall on Friday. One plus (is that even possible?) is that Delta will be getting here earlier than we originally thought. While we don't know exactly when that will be, I think we can all agree that daylight storms are way better than midnight storms.
Also, the early arrival is due to how fast Delta is moving. This is good for two reasons: Mainly because Delta will only be in our area for about 4-6 hours and without getting super technical, increased speed means stronger sheer which ultimately equates to a lopsided storm that keeps the bad stuff on the side of the storm that won't have as much of an effect on our area.
Of course, that's the optimistic "glass half full" scenario but one thing that we do know is that all the models currently show landfall along our central coastline and a path through at least some part of Acadiana.
If this doesn't change, our area will see a serious impact from Delta on Friday. We certainly never want the storm to "go elsewhere" (because people live there too, right?) but any shift to the east or west would mean a less significant impact on the Acadiana area.
As far as flooding goes, Delta won't be much of a flash flooding threat since it will be moving pretty quickly but we may still see about 4-8" of rain in the short amount of time that the storm would be in the area. With that said, there are isolated areas in Acadiana that are more prone to flash flooding than others so people in those areas should be prepared either way.
Wind speeds of 50-100 mph are expected, which may not seem extreme to some but that is more than enough to take down branches that ultimately take out power. Many of us lost power for some period of time during Hurricane Laura and she didn't even make a direct hit on Acadiana.
With all of that said, we continue to monitor things closely and I will advise you to make the preparations that are best for you and your family (and your home) to stay safe as Hurricane Delta sets its sights on the Louisiana coast.