Residents of Lake Charles, Louisiana are fleeing from the second storm in two months, as Hurricane Delta approaches the US South coast, reported AFP.
Hurricane Delta was packing sustained winds of 120 miles per hour, the US National Hurricane Centre said on Friday. It added, that the hurricane was expected to make landfall on Friday evening.
It is now a Category 3 storm, which means “devastating damage” may occur, according to the NHC.
Taking to Twitter, President Donald Trump said the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) was “there and ready” for the arrival of the hurricane.
“Just got a briefing on Hurricane Delta rushing toward Louisiana and Mississippi. @fema is there and ready!!!” Trump tweeted.
Hurricane Laura which made landfall in August had ripped off roofs from houses and had uprooted trees, littering streets with debris. The city, in Louisiana’s Southwest, is yet to fully recover from the disarray inflicted by Hurricane Laura, and now encounter’s yet another hurricane.
On Thursday, citizens of Lake Charles were seen heading for exits, leaving their homes and hoping for the best as a new and strengthening hurricane churned towards them.
A “15 years gap is OK between the two hurricanes,” said Jo’Lee Hester. “But we have only been home for three weeks, between the evacuation and everything.”
The damage inflicted by Hurricane Laura at the end of August has made the upcoming storm even more dangerous as high winds scoop up debris lying around and hurl them at speed, as per AFP report.
“I’m worried about the debris shattering the windows, to be honest,” Hester said.
Strong winds had uprooted trees and roofs of houses during Hurricane Laura and currently, many houses are using tarpaulin for cover.
Inside buildings torn ceiling tiles hang loose, while on the outside, garages remain completely collapsed, all effects of the previous hurricane.
And now we have this,” another hurricane, said Hester’s mother-in-law, Kimberly.
She and her four family members — including her 90-year-old mother — got in their car and joined a long, snaking traffic jam out of town, headed for Houston where they stayed for a month after Laura hit.
“I just pray to God every night we can at least have a house to come home to,” she said.