Louisiana residents still reeling from the destruction wrought by a powerful hurricane less than two months ago are now under threat yet again as Hurricane Delta steams north through the Gulf after striking Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula.Delta is expected to blow ashore as a Category 2 hurricane on Friday, bringing winds of up to 100mph and a storm surge of up to 11 feet, forecasters warned. They placed most of Louisiana within Delta's path, including the southwest area of the state around Lake Charles, where Category 4 Hurricane Laura ripped houses from their foundations, peeled off roofs and tore trailers in half on August 27.Nearly six weeks later, 5,600 people remain in New Orleans hotels because their homes are too damaged to occupy. Trees, roofs and other debris left in Laura's wake still sit by roadsides waiting for pickup even as forecasters warned that Delta could be a larger than average storm.As of 11am EST Thursday, Delta was centered about 400 miles south of Cameron, Louisiana, and moving at a speed of 14 miles per hour, according to the National Hurricane Center. . Residents living along the coast have been urged to have hurricane plans ready and to look out for any local evacuation orders as state and local officials continued shoring up levees, sandbagging and taking other protections measures. Ventusky Privacy Policy The large majority of structures damaged by Laura haven't been permanently repaired, Gov John Bel Edwards noted on Wednesday.'All that debris could become missiles in really strong wind,' said Edwards, who also worried about the 'sheer anxiety' the storm could cause already traumatized residents.'We don't want a hurricane to hit anywhere, but we know that the area that is least prepared and ready for a storm happens to be southwest Louisiana.' Edwards said President Donald Trump approved his request to declare a federal emergency, which frees up federal resources. Share this article Share This is the sixth time in the Atlantic hurricane season that people in Louisiana have been forced to flee the state's barrier islands and sail boats to safe harbor while emergency officials ramp up command centers and consider ordering evacuations.In neighboring Mississippi, Gov Tate Reeves also declared a state of emergency. The southern part of Mississippi could see heavy rain and flash flooding. Hurricane Delta is the 25th named storm of the Atlantic's unprecedented hurricane season. Delta hit Mexico as a Category 2 hurricane just south of the resort city of Cancun early Wednesday with high winds and heavy rain, cutting power to more than 260,000 customers. No deaths or injuries were reported.The Hotel Association of Cancun said more than 40,0