Hurricane Delta is expected to hit the already battered US Gulf Coast in and around Lake Charles, Louisiana, casting further doubt on when polymer production stoppages in the region will end (see Plasteurope.com of 01.10.2020). The current threat to the area follows damage in August from Laura, a category 4 hurricane and strongest to ever make landfall in Louisiana.

Delta ripped through the tip of Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula earlier this week before turning north toward the US, and the storm is expected to regain further strength as it crosses the Gulf of Mexico. Forecasts say Delta will reach category 3 with winds of 120 mph (193 kmh) before making landfall on Friday.

Officials in Calcasieu Parish, home to Lake Charles, issued a mandatory evacuation for the area on Wednesday, 7 October. Power outages and spotty service following recent storms have shut down many polymer plants and upstream facilities in the area.