Miami (AFP) - Hurricane Zeta was set to slam the southern United States Wednesday, bringing dangerous winds and storm surges to Louisiana, which has been hit repeatedly during a busy hurricane season.
Zeta, packing sustained winds of 90 miles (150 kilometers) per hour, has strengthened and is predicted to make landfall in southeastern Louisiana before moving along the Mississippi coast.
The National Hurricane Center issued a hurricane warning that covered New Orleans, and said a "life-threatening storm surge and strong winds (were) expected along portions of the northern Gulf Coast."
New Orleans mayor LaToya Cantrell said on Twitter that Zeta could be a "direct hit" on the city, and urged residents to evacuate vulnerable areas or stock up on emergency supplies of food, water and medication for at least three days.
New Orleans remains traumatized from Hurricane Katrina in 2005, which flooded 80 percent of the city and killed more than 1,800 people.
Zeta brought strong winds and heavy rains to Mexico's Caribbean coast on Tuesday after making landfall near the resort town of Tulum.
It is the 27th storm of an unusually active Atlantic hurricane season.
In September, meteorologists were forced to use the Greek alphabet to name Atlantic storms for only the second time ever, after the 2020 hurricane season blew through their usual list, ending on Tropical Storm Wilfred.
Scientists say there will likely be an increase in powerful storms as the ocean surface warms due to climate change.
The hurricane will be the fifth major storm to hit Louisiana this year.
