Tropical Storm Gordon
9/4/2018 (Permalink)
Tropical Storm Gordon threatens Gulf Coast, hurricane warning in place
Tropical Storm Gordon continued to gain strength Tuesday morning and is expected to become a hurricane by the time it hits the central U.S. Gulf Coast, including coastal Mississippi -- just as the hurricane season reaches its peak period.
Voluntary evacuation orders were issued Monday for parts of Louisiana for residents in areas outside the levee protection system. Gov. John Bel Edwards declared a state of emergency Monday and said 200 National Guard troops will be deployed to southeastern Louisiana.
The National Hurricane Center said at 11 a.m. ET that the storm was centered 145 miles east-southeast of the Mississippi River. Maximum sustained winds were clocked at 65 mph. After making landfall, it is expected to charge inland over the lower Mississippi Valley on Wednesday.
"Tropical Storm Gordon is forecast to intensify to a minimal hurricane before making landfall near Mississippi tonight before midnight," Fox News Senior Meteorologist Janice Dean said Tuesday. "Luckily the storm will be a quick mover lessening impacts from being a prolonged event."
The hurricane warning was placed into effect for the area stretching from the mouth of the Pearl River in Mississippi to the Alabama-Florida border. As much as 8 inches of rain could fall in some parts of the Gulf states through late Thursday.
"Heavy rain will accompany Gordon along its track, spreading an extensive swath of 3 to 6 inches will locally higher amounts," Dean said. "Severe thunderstorms will also be likely over parts of the Gulf Coast with damaging winds and isolated tornadoes."
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