Hurricane Zeta, which hit the coast of the southern US state of Louisiana on Wednesday, will weaken to the level of a tropical storm on Wednesday night (local time), the National Hurricane Center (NHC) has reported.
The hurricane made landfall not far from the city of New Orleans. While Zeta did not surpass Hurricane Katrina, which largely devastated the city in 2005, it did become the strongest since then. Authorities have confirmed one death.
At least 330,000 Louisiana households were left without power as a result of Hurricane Zeta, local media reports.
Including the states of Alabama and Mississippi, as many as 900,000 people are without electricity. The hurricane also caused severe flooding. A video shows a boat standing in the middle of a flooded highway.
In New Orleans, a man was electrocuted when he came into contact with a downed power line, local authorities report in a message on Twitter. “There are many dangers outside at the moment. Please stay inside,” warns residents of New Orleans.
