Oct 7 2017, 7:49 am ET
by Phil Helsel
Some 18 million Gulf Coast residents were under threat as Hurricane Nate powered toward the mainland early Saturday, bringing with it rain and storm surges to parts of Louisiana, Alabama and Florida.
The hurricane, with maximum sustained winds of 80 mph, was "moving rapidly over the central Gulf of Mexico," the National Hurricane Center said at 5 a.m. ET Saturday. It was about 345 miles south-southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi River, and was moving north-northwest at 22 mph, the hurricane center said.
Nate, which is blamed for deaths in Nicaragua and Costa Rica, could make landfall in the United States Saturday evening or Saturday night, the hurricane center said.
"Nate is at our doorstep, or will be soon," New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu said at a press conference Friday. A hurricane warning has been issued for the city, which is under a state of emergency.
18 million Gulf Coast residents brace for Hurricane Nate
New Orleans could see between 3 to 6 inches of rain in all, Landrieu said, but he said wind and storm surge posed the greatest risk.
Hurricane warnings were also in place for Lake Pontchartrain and a stretch of coast from Grand Isle, Louisiana to the Alabama-Florida border.
Storm surge warnings were issued for the coastline between Morgan City, Louisiana and the Okaloosa-Walton county border in Florida, as well as for the northern and western shores of Lake Pontchartrain.
Coastal and southeastern Mississippi is predicted to see storm surges of up to 9 feet above ground level, as well as power outages and hurricane force winds, said Roy Lucksinger, principle meteorologist at the Weather Channel.
There is also a risk of isolated tornadoes in the area as the hurricane makes landfall, Lucksinger said.
States of emergency were declared in Alabama and Louisiana. "Alabamians, you must prepare and remain vigilant — this is serious business," Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey said at a news conference Friday. She said the effects will begin to be felt as early as Saturday afternoon.
"By Saturday noon, you should be in your safe place," Ivey said.
Mandatory evacuations were ordered in Venetian Isles, Lake Catherine and Irish Bayou sections of New Orleans. Landrieu urged people to stay off the roads starting Saturday evening through Sunday. He said residents should stock up on supplies.
Eleven deaths have been reported in Nicaragua, 10 deaths were reported in Costa Rica, and one person was reported killed in Honduras, officials said.
Heavy machinery is used to remove mud from a highway that connects with the south of the country and collapsed by Storm Nate in Casa Mata, Costa Rica on Friday. Juan Carlos Ulate / Reuters
Source
New Orleans could see between 3 to 6 inches of rain in all, Landrieu said, but he said wind and storm surge posed the greatest risk.
Hurricane warnings were also in place for Lake Pontchartrain and a stretch of coast from Grand Isle, Louisiana to the Alabama-Florida border.
Storm surge warnings were issued for the coastline between Morgan City, Louisiana and the Okaloosa-Walton county border in Florida, as well as for the northern and western shores of Lake Pontchartrain.
Coastal and southeastern Mississippi is predicted to see storm surges of up to 9 feet above ground level, as well as power outages and hurricane force winds, said Roy Lucksinger, principle meteorologist at the Weather Channel.
There is also a risk of isolated tornadoes in the area as the hurricane makes landfall, Lucksinger said.
States of emergency were declared in Alabama and Louisiana. "Alabamians, you must prepare and remain vigilant — this is serious business," Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey said at a news conference Friday. She said the effects will begin to be felt as early as Saturday afternoon.
"By Saturday noon, you should be in your safe place," Ivey said.
Mandatory evacuations were ordered in Venetian Isles, Lake Catherine and Irish Bayou sections of New Orleans. Landrieu urged people to stay off the roads starting Saturday evening through Sunday. He said residents should stock up on supplies.
Eleven deaths have been reported in Nicaragua, 10 deaths were reported in Costa Rica, and one person was reported killed in Honduras, officials said.
Heavy machinery is used to remove mud from a highway that connects with the south of the country and collapsed by Storm Nate in Casa Mata, Costa Rica on Friday. Juan Carlos Ulate / Reuters
Source
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