Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards issued an emergency declaration for the state on Monday ahead of an expected mid-week landfall by Hurricane Zeta.
"This is the eighth state of emergency I've issued between COVID and storms," Edwards told a Monday afternoon news conference.
The state's National Guard is ready for Zeta, he said.
"We're doing everything we can to prepare for the storm," Edwards said.
The National Guard has boats and trucks positioned for high-water rescues, he said, and has food and water ready to provide to victims of the hurricane.
Fast-moving Zeta, which is forecast to strike Mexico's Yucatan peninsula on Monday night, is expected to make landfall in southeast Louisiana by Wednesday night at the earliest.
(Reporting by Erwin Seba; Editing by Peter Cooney)
