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'This is not a bad dream': New hurricane menaces Louisiana

ABBEVILLE, La. (AP) - Louisiana residents confronting the menace of a new hurricane weeks after one battered parts of the state got stark warnings Thursday to brace for winds that could turn still-uncollected debris into dangerous missiles and again knock out power to thousands.

Forecasts showed Delta had strengthened back into a Category 3 hurricane as it bore down on the state carrying winds of up to 115 mph (185 kph) and the potential to deliver a storm surge of up to 11 feet (3.4 meters) when it arrives on Friday evening.

The projected path included the southwest area of Louisiana where Category 4 Hurricane Laura made landfall less than two months ago. Laura has been blamed for more than 30 deaths.

The mayor of Lakes Charles, where thousands of residents remain without shelter following the earlier hurricane, told residents that even if their homes survived Laura, they shouldn't assume that would be the case with Delta.

'œThis is not a bad dream. It's not a test run. These are the cards that we have been dealt,'ť Nic Hunter said in a Facebook video. He added, 'œI know that we've been through a lot, and I know that we're tired. But we have a job to do right now, and that job is to keep ourselves safe.'ť

Residents in coastal towns appeared to be taking the latest threat seriously. Boarded windows and largely empty streets made New Iberia in south-central Louisiana look like a ghost town Thursday evening. The few signs of life included cars lined up at a drive-thru daquiri shop and people grabbing food at take-out restaurants.

'œThe last two storms, we didn't even board up, but this one's supposed to be worse,'ť Charles Fuller said as he covered the windows of the fried chicken restaurant he manages.

At least five southwest Louisiana parishes that were hit hard by Laura in August were under mandatory evacuations as of midday Thursday. Parish and local governments all along the coast issued a patchwork of mandatory or voluntary evacuation orders, most focused on low-lying areas subject to flooding or on residents with special medical needs who might suffer in prolonged power outages.

Frankie Randazzo, 47, the partner of two restaurants in Lake Charles, said people in the city were extremely anxious ahead of the hurricane. Randazzo watched pieces of one of his restaurants, Panorama Music House, fly past a meteorologist's car on a Facebook Live video during Hurricane Laura.

'œThere's a lot of nervous people and a lot of stress going around,'ť Randazzo said.

Huge piles of debris caused by Laura's wrath stretched along roadways in Bell City, southeast of Lake Charles. Some of the piles were more than 6 feet high (1.8 meters) and were as long as 75 feet (23 meters). Concerns mounted that Delta's arrival would cause the debris to become airborne and turn into deadly projectiles.

In Cameron Parish, power poles along Highway 27 in a desolate stretch of marsh were all either broken and leaning - none appeared to have been repaired since the August storm.

Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards said President Donald Trump approved his request to declare a federal emergency, which frees up federal resources.

The most recent forecast for Hurricane Delta has the storm making landfall 'œalmost precisely'ť where Hurricane Laura struck - a region where homes and electrical infrastructure are still damaged, Edwards said in a radio interview.

'œAnd we've got people who are very tired," the governor said.

This is the sixth time this year that people in Louisiana have had to get ready for an approaching hurricane or tropical storm, while also coping with the coronavirus pandemic.

'œPeople of Lake Charles and in Cameron Parish have already suffered enough, and then here comes this one,'ť said Desi Milligan, who owns an RV park in Cameron that was heavily damaged during Hurricane Laura.

Delta is the 25th named storm of this year's unprecedented Atlantic hurricane season, the latest in a series of intensifying storms that scientists have attributed to global warming. It hit Mexico as a Category 2 hurricane just south of the resort city of Cancun early Wednesday with high winds and heavy rain. No deaths or injuries were reported.

As the storm churned northwest at 12 mph (21 kph) late Thursday afternoon, the National Hurricane Center had a hurricane warning in place for a section of the Gulf Coast extending from High Island, Texas to Morgan City, Louisiana.

New Orleans, well to the east of the projected landfall area, was expected to escape the worst of Hurricane Delta. But tropical storm force winds were still likely in the city Friday, and local officials said they were preparing for the possibility of tornadoes.

In Mississippi, Gov. Tate Reeves also declared a state of emergency. The southern part of Mississippi could see heavy rain and flash flooding.

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This story has been edited to correct the spelling of Gramercy.

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Deslatte reported from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Gerald Herbert in Bell City; Kevin McGill in New Orleans; Leah Willingham in Jackson, Mississippi; Stacey Plaisance in New Iberia and Dez Mathurin and Sudhin Thanawala in Atlanta contributed to this report.

This Oct. 8, 2020 photo made available by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows Hurricane Delta in the Gulf of Mexico at 12:41 p.m. EDT. Delta, gaining strength as it bears down on the U.S. Gulf Coast, is the latest and nastiest in a recent flurry of rapidly intensifying Atlantic hurricanes that scientists largely blame on global warming. (NOAA via AP) The Associated Press
Super sand sacks are placed at the top of the exposed and damaged "burrito" levee in preparation for Hurricane Delta storm surge in Grand Isle, La., Thursday, Oct. 8, 2020. The large sand bags are filled with smaller bags of sand. Louisiana residents still recovering from the devastation of a powerful hurricane less than two months ago braced for another hit as Hurricane Delta steamed north through the Gulf on Thursday after swiping Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula. (Sophia Germer/The Advocate via AP) The Associated Press
Residents Mamie Russo and her son Cole attach wood to their front door while preparing for Hurricane Delta on Thursday, Oct. 8, 2020, in Cypremort Point, La. (Brad Kemp/The Advocate via AP) The Associated Press
Jule Chaisson, secures his boat as he pulls his crab traps from Bayou Dularge in anticipation of Hurricane Delta, expected to arrive along the Gulf Coast later this week, in Theriot, La., Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2020. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert) The Associated Press
Timothy Schouest adds diesel to his boat's generator in preparation for Hurricane Delta at Bayou Carlin Cove, Thursday, Oct. 8, 2020, in Delcambre, La. Schouest plans to ride out the storm on his boat. Louisiana residents still recovering from the devastation of a powerful hurricane less than two months ago braced for another hit as Hurricane Delta steamed north through the Gulf on Thursday after swiping Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula. (Leslie Westbrook/The Advocate via AP) The Associated Press
Curt Duhon boards up windows on his son's house to prepare for Hurricane Delta Thursday, Oct. 8, 2020, north of Abbeville, La. (Leslie Westbrook/The Advocate via AP) The Associated Press
Jefferson Parish Councilman Ricky J. Templet, left, and Mayor David Camardelle, Sr. stand on an existing tidal levee as workers rush to extend the tidal levee 1,300 feet in preparation for Hurricane Delta storm surge in Grand Isle, La., Thursday, Oct. 8, 2020. Louisiana residents still recovering from the devastation of a powerful hurricane less than two months ago braced for another hit as Hurricane Delta steamed north through the Gulf on Thursday after swiping Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula. (Sophia Germer/The Advocate via AP) The Associated Press
Workers extend a tidal levee 1,300 feet on the back of the island in preparation for Hurricane Delta storm surge in Grand Isle, La., Thursday, Oct. 8, 2020. According to Jefferson Parish Councilman Ricky J. Templet, about 450 truck loads of dirt from Larose were placed on the backside of the levee to protect the heart of the island from flooding, which is also "the bowl" of the island. The tidal levee was connected with an existing 10-year-old levee which covers about 2-miles. (Sophia Germer/The Advocate via AP) The Associated Press
Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards speaks about Hurricane Delta's likely impact on his state, on Thursday, Oct. 8, 2020, in Baton Rouge, La. Louisiana residents still recovering from the devastation of a powerful hurricane less than two months ago braced for another hit as Hurricane Delta steamed north through the Gulf on Thursday after swiping Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula. (AP Photo/Melinda Deslatte) The Associated Press
Benjamin Schott, with the National Weather Service, speaks about Hurricane Delta's likely impact on Louisiana, on Thursday, Oct. 8, 2020, in Baton Rouge, La. Louisiana residents still recovering from the devastation of a powerful hurricane less than two months ago braced for another hit as Hurricane Delta steamed north through the Gulf on Thursday after swiping Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula. (AP Photo/Melinda Deslatte) The Associated Press
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