Hurricane Zeta Update: Storm Kills 1, ‘Life Threatening Surge’ Warning Issued

One person is dead after Hurricane Zeta made landfall in Louisiana but quickly lost strength as it soaked parts of Alabama and Georgia. This comes as the National Hurricane Center issued a warning early Thursday the storm would include a "life-threatening surge."

Zeta made landfall Wednesday afternoon in Louisiana as a category two storm, hitting the downtown New Orleans area hard. A 55-year-old man was the lone fatality when he was electrocuted by a low-hanging power line, Nola.com reported.

Louisiana has suffered the brunt of the damage so far during this busy Atlantic hurricane season. As of Thursday morning, almost 80% of New Orleans is without power and authorities estimate it maybe 10 days before full service is restored.

New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell urged residents to stay home while officials survey the damage. “Although we have made it through, we have been damaged, we have been hit,” she said, as reported by The Guardian.

In a follow-up to an earlier request, Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards thanked President Donald Trump on Wednesday for his swift approval of federal assistance, as well as support from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

“This assistance will be critical in responding to this hurricane, assisting local governments and beginning our long-term recovery efforts,” he said.

Now a tropical storm, Zeta is expected to dump heavy rains on the Mid-Atlantic, the central Appalachians, and into Ohio.

“Strong, damaging wind gusts, which could cause tree damage and power outages, will continue to spread well inland across portions of northeastern Alabama, northern Georgia, the Carolinas, and southeastern Virginia today due to Zeta’s fast forward speed,” the latest forecast from the National Hurricane Center reads.