Hurricane Delta Now Category 4 But Tracking West Of Florida

ACROSS FLORIDA — A National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration hurricane hunter aircraft reported Tuesday afternoon that Hurricane Delta has rapidly strengthened into a dangerous Category 4 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 130 mph and even stronger gusts.

The National Hurricane Center is reminding those living along the northern Gulf Coast in the potential path of Hurricane Delta that only a couple of days remain to prepare for the storm. The path includes the western Panhandle, Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi and eastern Texas.

"Just keep an eye on it if you're in northwest Florida," Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said during a news conference Tuesday. "It's going to be a really significant hurricane, but right now it's tracking west of New Orleans."

While the Panhandle should keep an eye on the hurricane, he said he does not believe the hurricane will pose a problem for the rest of Florida.

Hurricane Delta is currently taking aim at the northeastern coast of the Yucatan Peninsula, where life-threatening storm surges and extreme winds are expected.

Stay tuned to Patch for update on Hurricane Delta.