Zeta has become better organized this afternoon. As of 6pm Zeta has made landfall in Southeast Louisiana as a strong cat 2 with 110 mph . Winds now are at 105 mph.

The impacts of Zeta are underway as a band of showers moves from south to north across the state. Some of the rain could be heavy at times, but this won’t be the main event. A break in the action is expected through early afternoon, until Zeta starts to approach the Gulf coast and more rain overspreads the area. This again will just be rain with some downpours and maybe some thunder mixed in. 

The most adverse weather occurs late Wednesday and Thursday morning. A Flash Flood Watch and Tropical Storm Watch are in effect for areas along and south of I-59 through Thursday.

Let’s start with the flash flooding threat: there could be upwards of 2-4 inches of rain (or maybe even more) in some areas by tomorrow with the bulk of the heavier rain falling in a short amount of time Thursday morning. This could be enough to cause some isolated flooding in some areas. Overall, the flooding threat is low, but it will still need to be monitored. 

Also, as the center of Zeta moves across the region, wind gusts of 40-50 mph will be possible. With the combination of wind and rain, downed trees and power lines are possible. Power outages and sporadic damage to structures are possible with these conditions. Please stay weather aware as tonight through tomorrow morning as Zeta races through.

Some much better weather arrives after Zeta exits stage right. Cooler and drier air invades the region from Friday, through the weekend, and into the start of next week. Generally, look for lows in the mid to upper 40s and highs in the mid to upper 60s.