2020’s Hurricane Zeta Upgraded from Cat 2 to Cat 3 Hurricane Zeta, which swept through southeast Louisiana at the tail end of the 2020 hurricane season, has been upgraded to a major, Category 3 storm at Louisiana landfall, according to a federal report released on May 11 that underscored the intensity of the already record-breaking storm season. The report by the National Hurricane Center said the storm led to five direct deaths and $4.4 billion dollars in damage in the United States. It also brought with it storm surge as high as 10 feet (3 meters) in Mississippi and parts of Alabama and some areas saw as much as 8 inches (20 centimeters) of rain. However, the NHC noted that Zeta was such a fast-moving storm that flooding associated with it was minimal.