A strengthened Tropical Storm Gordon is expected to hit the Gulf Coast as a hurricane late Tuesday, a day after pounding South Florida with heavy rain and strong winds.

The National Hurricane Center issued a hurricane warning from the mouth of the Pearl River, which separates southern Mississippi from the easternmost part of Louisiana, to the Alabama-Florida border.

Gordon formed into a tropical storm near the Florida Keys early Monday as it headed west-northwest at 17 mph. After hitting the Gulf Coast as an expected hurricane, it is forecast to move inland over the lower Mississippi Valley on Wednesday.

Parts of the Gulf Coast could get up to eight inches of rain through Thursday.

The storm was centered 280 miles east-southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi River, forecasters said early Tuesday morning. Maximum sustained winds were clocked at 65 mph.

The National Hurricane Center also issued a storm surge warning, meaning possible "danger of life-threatening inundation,'' for late Tuesday for the area stretching from Shell Beach, Louisiana, to Dauphin Island, Alabama.

“The deepest water will occur along the immediate coast near and to the east of the landfall location, where the surge will be accompanied by large waves,” the center said.

Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards declared a state of emergency Monday and said 200 National Guard troops will be deployed to the southeastern part of the state.

This Sept. 3, 2018, map from the National Hurricane Center showed the projected path for Tropical Storm Gordon as of Sunday evening. </s> NEW ORLEANS (Reuters) - Tropical Storm Gordon hurled rough surf, high winds and heavy rain at the U.S. Gulf Coast on Tuesday, strengthening as it spun toward the northern U.S. Gulf Coast, potentially to make landfall as a hurricane.

Gordon was forecast to come ashore between 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. local time on Tuesday (0000 GMT to 0200 GMT Wednesday) along the Mississippi Gulf coast near the Louisiana state line as a Category 1 hurricane on the five-step Saffir-Simpson scale.

Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards declared a state of emergency and companies cut 9 percent of U.S. Gulf of Mexico oil and gas production.

“I’m asking all residents to do their part in getting ready for this storm,” New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell said in a statement. “The city’s absolute No.1 priority is to ensure the safety of our residents.”

Winds of about 70 miles per hour (113 km per hour) were expected to reach hurricane force of at least 74 mph (119 kph) by the time storm reaches the Gulf Coast and some areas still recovering from last year’s storms could see 12 inches (30 cm) of rain.

Beaches around Mobile, Alabama, were being washed by storm-driven waves on Tuesday morning, said Stephen Miller, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service.

“We’re expecting an increase in winds,” Miller said in a telephone interview. “We could see flooding.”

The storm was producing gusty winds and heavy rain along the coast of the western Florida Panhandle and along the Texas coast, the National Hurricane Center said in an afternoon advisory.

Sea levels could rise as much as 5 feet (1.5 m) from Shell Beach, Louisiana, to Dauphin Island, Alabama, forecasters said.

The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency told South Mississippi residents to be prepared to evacuate.

As of Tuesday afternoon, Gordon was 95 miles (153 km) southeast of Biloxi, Mississippi, and heading west-northwest, according to the National Hurricane Center.

At LaFrance Marina near Ansley, Mississippi, a mile north of Heron Bay on the Gulf of Mexico, marina owner Sue Cates said that a tidal surge is sure to push water into the marina’s low-lying campgrounds, making evacuation “the only choice” people have to protect themselves.

Nevertheless, she said she and her husband will remain in their home, which sits on tall pilings, 24 feet above ground. Built after Hurricane Katrina, the home is made to withstand a 150 mile-an-hour wind, she said.

“We’re way up here, and I think we’ll be OK,” Cates said. “People around here are well-trained for this sort of thing.”

U.S. oil producer Anadarko Petroleum Corp evacuated workers and shut production at two offshore oil platforms on Monday, and other companies with production and refining operations along the Gulf Coast said they were securing facilities.

The Gulf of Mexico is home to 17 percent of U.S. crude oil and 5 percent of natural gas output daily, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

The U.S. Coast Guard said the ports of New Orleans and Gulfport and Pascagoula, Mississippi, may have to close within 48 hours.

Last year, hurricanes hit Texas, Florida and Puerto Rico, causing widespread destruction and thousands of deaths.

The Inn at Ocean Springs and the Roost Hotel in Ocean Springs, Mississippi, had guests planning to ride out the storm, said Kristin Smith, general manager of both hotels.

“A lot of guests are real comfortable sticking it out in our rooms,” Smith said in a telephone interview. “Any of our guests who feel like they want to go home we encourage them to follow their instincts.” </s> After pounding South Florida with heavy rain and strong winds Monday, Tropical Storm Gordon is gaining strength and taking aim at the Gulf Coast.

The National Hurricane Center issued a hurricane warning from the mouth of the Pearl River, which separates southern Mississippi from the easternmost part of Louisiana, to the Alabama-Florida border.

Gordon formed into a tropical storm near the Florida Keys early Monday as it headed west-northwest at 17 mph. The storm is expected to reach hurricane strength when it hits the Gulf Coast by late Tuesday night. From there, it is forecast to move inland over the lower Mississippi Valley on Wednesday.

Rolling past the west coast of Florida, some 95 miles from Fort Myers by 8 p.m. EDT, Gordon had maximum sustained winds of 60 mph. The storm is expected to gather strength while making its way through the Gulf of Mexico.

Parts of the Gulf Coast could get up to eight inches of rain through Thursday.

The hurricane center also issued a storm surge warning, meaning possible "danger of life-threatening inundation,'' for late Tuesday for the area stretching from Shell Beach, Louisiana, to Dauphin Island, Alabama.

“The deepest water will occur along the immediate coast near and to the east of the landfall location, where the surge will be accompanied by large waves,” the center said.

Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards declared a state of emergency Monday and said 200 National Guard troops will be deployed to the southeastern part of the state.

Although Louisiana lies just outside the hurricane warning area, authorities in New Orleans issued a voluntary evacuation order for areas outside the city’s levee protection system, including the Venetian Isles, Lake Saint Catherine and Irish Bayou areas.

Strong wind gusts, battering waves, above-normal tides, minor coastal flooding, flash flooding and a couple of isolated tornadoes and waterspouts will be the main threats from the storm, AccuWeather said.

Parts of the northern Gulf Coast could see 3-6 inches of rainfall Tuesday into Wednesday, from southeast Louisiana into far southern Mississippi and far southern Alabama, according to the Weather Channel. Localized totals of six inches or more are possible in some areas.

The storm should make landfall with winds of about 60 mph. However, it could still reach hurricane status, which would be 74 mph, AccuWeather said.

"Any strong tropical storm has the potential to strengthen to a hurricane even when that storm may only spend a day or two over warm waters," AccuWeather meteorologist Alex Sosnowski said.

Miami Beach police said via Twitter that the Labor Day holiday was “NOT a beach day” because of rough surf and potential rip currents. Red flags flew over Pensacola-area beaches in Florida’s Panhandle, where swimming and wading in the Gulf of Mexico were prohibited.

The weather delivered a blow to businesses during the holiday weekend.

Jenna Wright, owner of a coffee shop in Naples, Florida, told the Naples Daily News that she expected higher numbers for the Labor Day weekend.

“This is normally a decent weekend, but the storm and red tide aren’t helping,” Wright said. “We’re a beach coffee shop, and if people can’t go to the beach, then we won’t get any customers.”

Gordon is the seventh named tropical storm or hurricane to form in the Atlantic basin this year.

Tropical Storm Florence continues to spin in the central Atlantic Ocean, about 2,700 miles from Miami. Florence will rotate harmlessly in the central Atlantic this week but could pose a threat to Bermuda and/or the U.S. East Coast in the next six to 12 days, according to Weather Underground meteorologist Bob Henson. </s> The National Hurricane Center’s forecast tracker and satellite loop show Tropical Storm Gordon as it forms over Florida and threatens other southeastern states.

Gordon is expected to strengthen into a hurricane late Tuesday when it hits the central U.S. Gulf Coast, including coastal Mississippi. From there, it is forecast to move inland over the lower Mississippi Valley on Wednesday.

Gordon formed into a tropical storm near the Florida Keys early Monday as it lashed the southern part of the state with heavy rains and high winds.

The storm was centered 280 miles (450 kilometers) east-southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi River, forecasters said early Tuesday morning. Maximum sustained winds were clocked at 65 mph (100 kph).

A hurricane warning was put into effect for the area stretching from the mouth of the Pearl River in Mississippi to the Alabama-Florida border.

Copyright 2018 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. </s> Tropical Storm Gordon is set to slam into the north central Gulf Coast on Tuesday night. Only slight intensification is required for this system to become the first Atlantic hurricane to make landfall in 2018.

The storm is forecast to unleash multiple hazards along the coast, including torrential rain, strong winds, and a storm surge of up to several feet, which is a rise in ocean water above normally dry coastal land.

The National Hurricane Center said the storm is expected “to bring life-threatening” hurricane conditions to parts of the central Gulf Coast.

Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant declared a state of emergency as the storm bore down on his state’s coast, as did Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey.

Packing winds of 65 mph, the storm is just 9 mph from hurricane-strength, which it is predicted to attain before coming ashore. Positioned 145 miles east-southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi River, Gordon is moving toward the northwest at 15 mph. Tropical-storm-force winds extend about 80 miles from the center.

As of late Tuesday morning, Gordon’s outer rainbands were already beginning to pelt the western Florida panhandle.

Hurricane warnings stretch from the Florida/Alabama border to the Louisiana/Mississippi border as the storm center is most likely to strike along the Mississippi or Alabama coastline. This zone is expected to witness the most severe storm effects.

Tropical storm warnings extend to the west to around New Orleans and Lake Pontchartrain and to the east over the western Florida panhandle. While likely to remain outside of the storm’s core, this zone is still expected to see gusty winds and heavy rainfall.

The worst conditions are expected to arrive along the north central Gulf Coast by late afternoon Tuesday and, especially, Tuesday evening. Periods of torrential rain and strong winds should continue overnight Tuesday into early Wednesday.

Conditions should improve along the coast during the day Wednesday, while heavy rain expands inland through western Mississippi, northeast Louisiana, and southeast Arkansas.

Links: Detailed rundown of storm effects from National Weather Service for coastal Alabama | coastal Mississippi

“Gordon will not be just a coastal event, and not just wind but also water could be damaging, dangerous and even deadly, especially if preparations are not rushed to completion as early as possible today before tropical storm conditions arrive,” said Rick Knabb, The Weather Channel’s tropical weather expert. “Evacuate immediately away from coastal storm surges if instructed by local officials. Don’t drive your vehicle onto any water-covered roads in coastal and inland areas. Nine out of ten fatalities in tropical systems are due to water.”

Gordon is expected to dispense 4 to 8 inches of rain over a large swath of the north central Gulf Coast as well as areas farther inland, through central Mississippi and southern Arkansas. The Hurricane Center said isolated amounts could reach a foot, and that areas of flash flooding were expected between Tuesday and Wednesday.

A storm surge warning was posted for the north central Gulf Coast from Shell Beach, La. to Dauphin Island, Ala. In this zone, the water could rise up 3 to 5 feet above normally dry land at the coast. This inundation could flood and potentially damage low-lying roads, homes, and businesses.

“The deepest water will occur along the immediate coast near and to the east of the landfall location, where the surge will be accompanied by large waves,” the Hurricane Center said. “Surge-related flooding depends on the relative timing of the surge and the tidal cycle, and can vary greatly over short distances.”

Sustained winds of tropical-storm-force are likely in the zone under a hurricane warning, with the possibility of hurricane-force gusts, over 74 mph. These winds could damage roofs and siding, and snap trees and branches, and the resulting debris may block some roads. Scattered power outages are likely.

Tropical-storm-force winds could reach the western Florida panhandle Tuesday afternoon and the Alabama-Mississippi coastline by early evening.

Elsewhere in the tropics: Watching Hurricane Florence, and more

Gordon is not the only storm forecasters are monitoring. Florence, in the central Atlantic, strengthened into the third hurricane of the Atlantic season Tuesday morning. The storm is forecast to begin a slow weakening trend Wednesday through Thursday, as it starts to curl to the northwest. However, it is then predicted to re-intensify heading into the weekend.

The long-range track forecast for Florence remains a wildcard. Some computer model simulations on Sunday and Monday suggested it could be a threat to the East Coast in about a week. However, many have since backed away from that idea. For now, forecasters can only watch and wait. “There is still too much model spread after day 5 to speculate what Florence might do beyond the official forecast period,” the Hurricane Center said.

Farther to the east, another disturbance emerging off Africa’s west coast has a 70 percent chance to develop into a tropical depression or storm over the next five days. Should it earn a name, it will be called Helene. </s> GULFPORT, Miss. (AP) — Families filled sandbags, took patio furniture inside and stocked up on batteries and bottled water as the Gulf Coast prepared Tuesday for Tropical Storm Gordon, which was forecast to become the second hurricane to hit the region in less than a year.

Just hours before the storm was expected to come ashore, a few people remained on the beach, soaking in the sun before the tropical rain bands became more numerous. Others did their familiar pre-storm preparation rituals, including the staff at The Hotel Whiskey in Pass Christian, Mississippi, only about a block away from the Gulf of Mexico. The hotel restaurant planned to stay open Tuesday evening as usual, fortified by sandbags to keep out torrential rains, the manager said.

“All the outside furniture has to come in, but honestly it’s not even a freak-out kind of hurricane, so we’re not super-stressed right now,” Ashley Peeples said around midday Tuesday.

A hurricane warning was in effect for the entire Mississippi and Alabama coasts with predictions Gordon would become a Category 1 storm. The National Hurricane Center predicted a “life-threatening” storm surge of 3 to 5 feet (0.9 to 1.5 meters) along parts of the central Gulf Coast.

Flooding was also a risk. As much as 8 inches (20 centimeters) of rain could fall in some parts of the Gulf states through late Thursday as the tropical weather moves inland toward Arkansas.

By Tuesday afternoon, the storm was centered 145 miles (235 kilometers) southeast of Biloxi, Mississippi, with top sustained winds of 65 mph (100 kph), forecasters said. It was moving relatively quickly, at about 15 mph (25 kph).

The last hurricane to strike the U.S. was Nate in October, coming ashore in Biloxi with 75 mph (120 kph) winds.

Governors in Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana all declared states of emergency for Gordon, allowing them to quickly mobilize state resources and National Guard troops to help during and after the storm.

Gordon became a tropical storm Monday near the Florida Keys, so residents and businesses rushed preparations Tuesday. But for some people, it was just another beach day with a bit of a breeze.

Morgan Kearley took the potted plants off her porch Tuesday before heading to the beach at Bay St. Louis with her husband, their daughter and a niece and nephew. They stayed near the edge of the water as a stiff breeze from the south rarely relented.

“I think we’ve had worse in the past,” Kearley’s husband, Shane, said.

Mayors of barrier islands in the storm’s path warned that their communities might get cut off from the mainland. Gordon appeared to be coming toward Dauphin Island, Alabama, closer to low tide around 7 p.m. Tuesday. Police planned to monitor the only highway to the mainland.

“When you get the higher waves, water starts splashing across. Sometimes it starts pushing not only water across but debris, logs and things of that nature, which makes it very treacherous to get across,” Mayor Jeff Collier said.

Gordon was poised for only a glancing blow to New Orleans, where Mayor LaToya Cantrell said the city has “the pumps and the power” needed to protect residents.

Authorities issued a voluntary evacuation order for areas outside the city’s levee protection system, including the Venetian Isles, Lake Saint Catherine and Irish Bayou communities.

L. J. Cazaux moved his boat to a nearby lot of elevated land before the rain started in Venetian Isles. He elevated his house off the ground after Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and has food, water and two generators.

“You just blend it into your lifestyle when you live outside the levee system. You know you’re going to flood before anyone else does. The good part about it is the water goes down faster here,” said Cazaux, who has lived in the neighborhood for 15 years.

Gordon wasn’t the only storm being watched by forecasters. Hurricane Florence was some 2,400 miles (3,900 kilometers) away from the U.S., and another potential storm was likely to form not far off the coast of Africa and head east.

The National Hurricane Center said it is way too early to know if either of those storms will have any impact on land.

“It’s the peak of hurricane season. Now is the time to get your plans all set,” Hurricane Director Ken Graham said. </s> Tropical-force winds from fast-moving Gordon smashed into the coastline of Alabama and the western Florida Panhandle on Tuesday evening, the frontal edge of a system just offshore that forecasters warned could become a hurricane by the time it makes landfall.Tropical Storm Gordon strengthened some in the final hours as it neared the central Gulf Coast, clocking top sustained winds of 70 mph 110 kph). The National Hurricane Center said Gordon's tight core was about 75 miles (125 kilometers) southeast of Biloxi, Mississippi, or about 70 miles (115 kilometers) south of Mobile, Alabama, where heavy rains and winds picked up shortly before nightfall.Skies quickly turned dark gray as storms overshadowed Mobile, a port city. Metal chairs were lashed together atop tables outside a restaurant in what's normally a busy entertainment district, and a street musician played to an empty sidewalk just before the rain began. Conditions were expected to deteriorate westward to New Orleans as the stormed closed in on the coast, possibly becoming the second hurricane to hit the region in less than a year.Families along the coast filled sandbags, took patio furniture inside and stocked up on batteries and bottled water ahead of Gordon.The staff at The Hotel Whiskey in Pass Christian, Mississippi - only about a block from the Gulf of Mexico - were among those carrying out pre-storm preparation rituals. The hotel restaurant planned to stay open Tuesday evening as usual, fortified by sandbags to keep out torrential rains, the manager said.Gulfport was among communities providing sand and bags to residents, and Kenny Macdonald filled them for himself and older residents. MacDonald said that while such preparations become all too routine, one must remain wary."You don't know what the intensity of the storm is going to be. You don't want to take it lightly, of course," MacDonald said.A hurricane warning was in effect for the entire Mississippi and Alabama coasts with the possibility Gordon would become a Category 1 storm. The National Hurricane Center predicted a "life-threatening" storm surge of 3 to 5 feet (0.9 to 1.5 meters) along parts of the central Gulf Coast.Flooding also was a risk. As much as 8 inches (20 centimeters) of rain could fall in some parts of the Gulf states through late Thursday as the tropical weather moves inland toward Arkansas.Forecasters said it was possible Gordon's winds might meet the 74 mph (120 kph) threshold to be a hurricane before making landfall later Tuesday. The last hurricane to strike the U.S. was Nate last October, coming ashore in Biloxi with 75 mph (120 kph) winds.Governors in Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana all declared states of emergency to better mobilize state resources and National Guard troops for the storm. Mississippi shut down a dozen Gulf Coast casinos. Workers on at least 54 oil and gas production platforms were evacuated.Gordon became a tropical storm Monday near the Florida Keys.Mayors of barrier islands in the storm's path warned that their communities might get cut off from the mainland."When you get the higher waves, water starts splashing across. Sometimes it starts pushing not only water across but debris, logs and things of that nature, which makes it very treacherous to get across," said Jeff Collier, mayor of Dauphin Island, Alabama.Gordon was poised for only a glancing blow to New Orleans, where Mayor LaToya Cantrell said the city has "the pumps and the power" needed to protect residents.Authorities issued a voluntary evacuation order for areas outside the city's levee protection system.L. J. Cazaux moved his boat to a nearby lot of elevated land before the rain started in one of the areas outside the protective system, Venetian Isles. He elevated his house off the ground after Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and has food, water and two generators."You just blend it into your lifestyle when you live outside the levee system. You know you're going to flood before anyone else does. The good part about it is the water goes down faster here," said Cazaux, who has lived in the neighborhood for 15 years.Gordon was not the only storm being watched by forecasters. Hurricane Florence was some 2,400 miles (3,900 kilometers) away from the U.S., and another potential storm was likely to form not far off the coast of Africa and head east.The National Hurricane Center said it is way too early to know if either of those storms will have any impact on land."It's the peak of hurricane season. Now is the time to get your plans all set," Hurricane Director Ken Graham said.---------- </s> (Reuters) - Tropical storm Gordon is moving quickly across the eastern Gulf of Mexico and is expected to make landfall as a hurricane along the north-central Gulf coast, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said in its latest advisory on Monday.

The center of Gordon will approach the north-central Gulf Coast late Tuesday afternoon or evening, and move inland over the lower Mississippi Valley on Wednesday, the NHC said, adding rapid weakening was expected after Gordon moved inland.

Gordon is located about 330 miles (530 kilometers) east-southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi River with maximum sustained winds of 60 miles per hour (95 kilometers/hour), the Miami-based weather forecaster said. </s> (Reuters) - The leading edge of Tropical Storm Gordon hurled rough surf, gusty winds and heavy rain at parts of the U.S. Gulf Coast on Tuesday afternoon, hours before it was due to make landfall, possibly as a hurricane, forecasters said.

The storm caused global oil prices to rise after two oil platforms in the Gulf of Mexico were evacuated.

Gordon was due to come ashore late on Tuesday near the border between Louisiana and Mississippi, and drop as much as 12 inches (30 cm) of rain in areas still recovering from last year’s powerful hurricanes, the National Hurricane Center said.

Winds of about 65 miles per hour (105 km per hour) in the afternoon were expected to reach hurricane force of at least 74 mph (119 kph) by the time storm reaches the Gulf Coast.

“I’m asking all residents to do their part in getting ready for this storm,” New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell said in a statement. “The City’s absolute number one priority is to ensure the safety of our residents.”

Beaches around Mobile, Alabama, were being washed by storm-driven waves on Tuesday morning, said Stephen Miller, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service.

“We’re expecting an increase in winds,” Miller said in a telephone interview. “We could see flooding.”

Outer rainbands of the storm were producing gusty winds and heavy rain along the coast of the western Florida Panhandle, the National Hurricane Center said in an afternoon advisory.

Sea levels could rise as much as 5 feet (1.5 m) from Shell Beach, Louisiana, to Dauphin Island, Alabama, forecasters said.

The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency told South Mississippi residents to be prepared to evacuate.

As of Tuesday afternoon, Gordon was about 130 miles (205 km) south-southeast of Mobile, Alabama, about 145 miles southeast of Biloxi, Mississippi, and heading west-northwest, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Chuck Lamey, owner of Pops Pizzeria in Biloxi, Mississippi, said he planned to close by 3 p.m. instead of 9 p.m. on Tuesday before the storm hits land.

“We’re hoping to open at regular time tomorrow at 11 o’ clock, but if it’s still a threat we’ll postpone the opening,” Lamey said. “We want the employees to be safe and have time to prepare.”

U.S. oil producer Anadarko Petroleum Corp evacuated workers and shut production at two offshore oil platforms on Monday, and other companies with production and refining operations along the Gulf Coast said they were securing facilities.

The Gulf of Mexico is home to 17 percent of U.S. crude oil and 5 percent of natural gas output daily, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

The U.S. Coast Guard said the ports of New Orleans and Gulfport and Pascagoula, Mississippi, may have to close within 48 hours.

Last year, hurricanes hit Texas, Florida and Puerto Rico, causing widespread destruction and thousands of deaths.

Gordon was expected to weaken rapidly after moving ashore, forecasters said.

The Inn at Ocean Springs and The Roost Hotel in Ocean Springs, Mississippi, had guests planning to ride out the storm, said Kristin Smith, general manager of both hotels.

“A lot of guests are real comfortable sticking it out in our rooms,” Smith said in a telephone interview. “Any of our guests who feel like they want to go home we encourage them to follow their instincts.”
Tropical Storm Gordon makes landfall near the Alabama–Mississippi border in the United States. One death is reported.