Hurricane Zeta is intensifying as it approaches the US Gulf of Mexico coast of southeastern Louisiana, where it is expected to make landfall as a Category 2 storm around 4 p.m. CDT today. At 3 p.m., the National Hurricane Center reported maximum sustained winds of 110 mph with higher gusts.
Today’s BSEE release based on operator reports said personnel have been evacuated from a total of 228 production platforms, 35.5% of the 643 manned platforms in the Gulf of Mexico.
Personnel have been evacuated from three nondynamically positioned rigs, and six dynamically positioned rigs have been moved off location out of the hurricane’s projected path as a precaution.
Approximately 66.6% of the gulf’s oil production and 44.5% of the natural gas production has been shut in.
The US Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunters tweeted this video today at sunrise as they flew through Zeta.