Tropical Storm Zeta cuts through Southeast US, leaving 2.2 million in dark; 2nd system pops up with high odds in Atlantic

October 29, 2020 Alpharetta - AT&T crews work on restoring service on Charlotte Drive in Alpharetta after Tropical Storm Zeta swept through early Thursday leaving thousands of households without power on Thursday, October 29, 2020. (Hyosun Shin/Atlanta Journal-Constitution/TNS)

ORLANDO, Fla. – Tropical Storm Zeta cut powerlines throughout the southeast United States and leaving millions in the dark Thursday morning, while the National Hurricane Center identified a new system in the south Atlantic.

First, about 2.2 million customers in eight states are in the dark due to Zeta, according to Poweroutage.US.

The tropical storm had its maximum sustained winds drop 60 mph hours after making landfall in Louisiana Wednesday afternoon, according to the NHC's 8 a.m. update. Zeta is 50 miles west of Ashville, North Carolina and is moving at a fast pace of 39 mph. Its tropical-storm-force winds reach up to 175 miles away from its center. Zeta is forecast to lose some strength while cutting into Virginia later Thursday with winds dropping to 50 mph, but should regain strength Friday morning as the storm enters the Atlantic and has high chances of becoming extratropical.

October 29, 2020 Atlanta: A large tree fell across West Wesley Road and Habersham Road where it remained closed most of the day Thursday, Oct. 29, 2020. Rain bands and damaging winds from Tropical Storm Zeta swept through North Georgia on Thursday morning, leaving at least one person dead and nearly 1 million in the dark. Zeta made U.S. landfall Wednesday afternoon as a Category 2 hurricane, lashing the Louisiana coast with 110 mph winds. It weakened to a tropical storm by the time it reached North Georgia, with winds gusting between 51 mph in Atlanta and 55 mph in Rome early Thursday. The worst of the storm tore through the region between 4 a.m. and 7 a.m. Just before daybreak, Georgia Power was reporting outages for more than 613,000 customers statewide. Another 364,000 Georgia EMC customers were without power, the majority of those in metro Atlanta. (John Spink/Atlanta Journal-Constitution/TNS)

On Wednesday evening, Zeta intensified into a Category 2 storm with winds of 110 mph shortly before making landfall in Louisiana, the NHC said. But the storm lost power cutting into southern Mississippi and degenerated into a Category 1 hurricane with winds of 80 mph.

Zeta is the 27th named storm of the record breaking 2020 hurricane season, which has the most storms recorded behind the 2005 season's record 29. Zeta was not only the earliest 27th named storm on record, but also the 11th named storm to make landfall in the U.S. in a single season — the most ever recorded.

The storm brought dangerous winds and storm surge throughout the Gulf Coast Wednesday night.

William Holden (right) and James Duffy (left) look at the damage on the trailer where a man was killed by a fallen tree at around 4:00 a.m. on Thursday, October 29, 2020, at East Gate Mobile Home Park in Acworth, Georgia. According to Alicia Martinez, granddaughter of the renter of the trailer, Florida Martinez, the victim of the accident had been renting a room from her grandmother for only a few weeks. Strong gusts from Hurricane Zeta caused the fatal tree fall, and brought down power lines and trees throughout north Georgia. (Christina Matacotta/Atlanta Journal-Constitution/TNS)

A 91 mph wind gust blew through Mobile, Alabama, Tuesday and a NOAA gauge reported a 10-foot storm surge in Waveland, Mississippi, the Associated Press reported.

Streams of rainfall ran off roofs in New Orleans' famed French Quarter, signs outside bars and restaurants swayed back and forth in the wind and palm trees along Canal Street whipped furiously. Officials said a person was hospitalized with minor injuries after a structure collapsed, but further details weren't available.

With much of the city in the dark and more than 200 trees reported down, New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell implored residents to stay home and let city officials assess the damage instead of going out and doing it themselves.

October 29, 2020 Atlanta: City of Atlanta crews worked at removing a large tree that fell across westbound I-20 near Langhorn Street that blocked all lanes for a time on Thursday, Oct. 29, 2020. Rain bands and damaging winds from Tropical Storm Zeta swept through North Georgia on Thursday morning, leaving at least one person dead and nearly 1 million in the dark. Zeta made U.S. landfall Wednesday afternoon as a Category 2 hurricane, lashing the Louisiana coast with 110 mph winds. It weakened to a tropical storm by the time it reached North Georgia, with winds gusting between 51 mph in Atlanta and 55 mph in Rome early Thursday. The worst of the storm tore through the region between 4 a.m. and 7 a.m. Just before daybreak, Georgia Power was reporting outages for more than 613,000 customers statewide. Another 364,000 Georgia EMC customers were without power, the majority of those in metro Atlanta. (John Spink/Atlanta Journal-Constitution/TNS)

As much as 5 feet of Gulf water surrounded a casino in Biloxi, Mississippi, and deputies in Harrison County, Mississippi, received multiple calls from people who had remained in mobile homes that were threatened by winds.

The storm killed at least one person, a 55-year-old man who a Louisiana coroner said was electrocuted by a downed power line in New Orleans, and officials said life-threatening conditions would last into Thursday in a region already pounded by multiple storms this year, AP reported.

As of 8 a.m. there are over 500,000 Louisiana customers without power. However, its Georgia that has the most customers in the dark with 810,000 people, according to Poweroutage.US.

Map of Hurricane Zeta. Tribune News Service 2020

Crews from Orlando Utilities Commission (OUC) and Duke Energy were deployed to affected states Wednesday to help restore power, according to a report by FOX 35.

Meanwhile a second system in the south Atlantic was identified with low to high odds of becoming the next tropical depression or tropical storm.

The large area of disturbed weather is moving west into the Caribbean and toward the Lesser Antilles with a pair of tropical waves. Upper level winds should relent a bit creating an ideal environment for development over the weekend.

October 29, 2020 Alpharetta - AT&T crews work on restoring service on Charlotte Drive in Alpharetta after Tropical Storm Zeta swept through early Thursday leaving thousands of households without power on Thursday, October 29, 2020. (Hyosub Shin/Atlanta Journal-Constitution/TNS)

The system has a 20% chance of development in the next 48 hours and a 60% chance of doing so over the next five days.

If the system does develop into a tropical storm it will be the 28th named storm of the season, receiving the Greek letter Eta as its designation. It would also be the first time "Eta" was ever used to name a storm.

Two adults were found dead in their bed Thursday afternoon in Gwinnett County after a tree landed on their home, according to police and firefighters. The deaths were reported in the 500 block of Garner Street, near Buford, police said. It was not immediately known when the two were killed. (Hyosub Shin/Atlanta Journal-Constitution/TNS)

October 29, 2020 Buford - Aerial photography shows the house where two victims recovered after a tree landed on the home in the 500 block of Garner Street in Buford on Thursday, October 29, 2020. Two adults were found dead in their bed Thursday afternoon in Gwinnett County after a tree landed on their home, according to police and firefighters.The deaths were reported in the 500 block of Garner Street, near Buford, police said. It was not immediately known when the two were killed. (Hyosub Shin/Atlanta Journal-Constitution/TNS)

Alicia Martinez stands in the trailer of her grandmother, Florida Martinez, where a man was killed by a fallen tree at around 4:00 a.m. on Thursday, October 29, 2020, at East Gate Mobile Home Park in Acworth, Georgia. According to Martinez, the victim of the accident had been renting a room from her grandmother for only a few weeks. Strong gusts from Hurricane Zeta caused the fatal tree fall, and brought down power lines and trees throughout north Georgia. (Christina Matacotta/Atlanta Journal-Constitution/TNS)

Gwinnett County firefighters attempt to remove the tree in order to recover the two victims after a tree landed on the home in the 500 block of Garner Street in Buford on Thursday, October 29, 2020. Two adults were found dead in their bed Thursday afternoon in Gwinnett County after a tree landed on their home, according to police and firefighters.The deaths were reported in the 500 block of Garner Street, near Buford, police said. It was not immediately known when the two were killed. (Hyosub Shin/Atlanta Journal-Constitution/TNS)

October 29, 2020 Alpharetta - AT&T crews work on restoring service on Charlotte Drive in Alpharetta after Tropical Storm Zeta swept through early Thursday leaving thousands of households without power on Thursday, October 29, 2020. (Hyosub Shin/Atlanta Journal-Constitution/TNS)

October 29, 2020 Atlanta: Atlanta fire crews worked for about 40 minutes to free a man trapped in his third-floor bedroom after a tree came crashing down on a home on Brookdale Drive in Atlanta on Thursday, Oct. 29, 2020. Rain bands and damaging winds from Tropical Storm Zeta swept through North Georgia on Thursday morning, leaving at least one person dead and nearly 1 million in the dark. Zeta made U.S. landfall Wednesday afternoon as a Category 2 hurricane, lashing the Louisiana coast with 110 mph winds. It weakened to a tropical storm by the time it reached North Georgia, with winds gusting between 51 mph in Atlanta and 55 mph in Rome early Thursday. The worst of the storm tore through the region between 4 a.m. and 7 a.m. Just before daybreak, Georgia Power was reporting outages for more than 613,000 customers statewide. Another 364,000 Georgia EMC customers were without power, the majority of those in metro Atlanta. (John Spink/Atlanta Journal-Constitution/TNS)