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 This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.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>HOUSTON, Sept 4 (Reuters) - Three more oil producers pulled employees out of Tropical Storm Gordon’s path, and companies cut 9 percent of U.S. Gulf of Mexico oil and gas production on Tuesday as the storm churned toward an expected nighttime landfall.

The storm, which is expected to strengthen into a Category 1 hurricane with winds of at least 74 miles per hour (119 kph), shifted eastward, reducing its threat to producers on the western side of the Gulf and most Gulf Coast refineries.

Companies evacuated 54 offshore platforms and halted 156,907 barrels per day of oil production and 232 million cubic feet per day of natural gas output, according to estimates by the U.S. Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement.

Offshore oil production accounts for 17 percent of total U.S. oil production and 5 percent of natural gas production.

Talos Energy Inc, Exxon Mobil Corp and Chevron Corp on Tuesday evacuated employees and shut in several platforms in the eastern Gulf of Mexico. Talos halted output at its Ram Powell, Amberjack and Pompano platforms, Exxon its Lena platform and Chevron Corp curtailed its Petronius platform.

That followed Anadarko Petroleum Corp’s decision on Monday to evacuate staff and shut production at two oil platforms in the northern Gulf of Mexico.

Other major oil producers, including ConocoPhillips, BP Plc and Royal Dutch Shell Plc, said they continued to operate and were monitoring conditions. The Louisiana Offshore Oil Port, the largest privately owned crude terminal in the United States, also said it was operating normally.

U.S. and global crude futures were up a fraction as traders said they did not expect the storm to have long-term impact on Gulf output. The storm’s potential threat also was overshadowed by a strong dollar and storage data that showed rising production, traders said.

“We have a lot of shut-ins. A couple rigs, a couple ports are closed to incoming vessels,” one broker said. “But right now it is a Category 1 (hurricane). I can’t see why that scares anyone.”

The ports of Gulfport and Pascagoula, Mississippi, and Mobile, Alabama, were closed to all traffic on Tuesday, the U.S. Coast said in a statement. New Orleans-area ports were operating under an advisory that called for gale-force winds within 24 hours.</s>Labor Day doesn’t just mark the end of summer, it’s unofficially when hurricane season kicks into high gear. And for 2018, the post-holiday period has meteorologists closely watching two tropical storms.

Tropical Storm Gordon is the primary concern. The disturbance is expected to reach hurricane status before it hits the Gulf coast Tuesday evening. A hurricane warning is in effect from Mississippi to the Alabama/Florida border. As of 7 a.m. ET Tuesday, the storm had maximum sustained winds of 65 mph.

Gordon’s expected to be a quick moving storm with heavy rains and possible tornadoes. The National Hurricane Center calls the storm “life threatening.” Schools have been closed along the coast and governors in Mississippi and Louisiana have already declared a state of emergency as the storm advances.

Meanwhile, off the eastern seaboard, Tropical Storm Florence is headed toward the United States. Current spaghetti forecast models indicate that storm will spin off to sea. But forecasters warn that the storm, which is expected to achieve hurricane status by Sunday, is still far out in the Atlantic and could change course.

Neither storm, at present, is remotely close to the major hurricanes that dominated 2017. Just shy of one year ago, on September 10, Hurricane Irma made landfall on Marco Island, Fla. That storm racked up estimated damages of nearly $100 billion.

Hurricane season officially began on June 1 this year and runs through November 30. Forecasters, though, say late summer is the time that worries them the most, in part because ocean waters are especially warm, which can strengthen storms.

Gordon and Florence aren’t the only storms forecasters are watching. A third disturbance off the coast of Africa could become a cyclone is expected to become a tropical depression later this week. If it does, the storm would be named 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>(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.”</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>ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- As Tropical Storm Gordon makes a beeline toward the central Gulf coast, hurricane development isn't out of the question.

National Hurricane Center forecasters peg Gordon as a 65-mph storm moving west-northwest at 65 mph, according to the 5 a.m. Tuesday update. Some gradual strengthening is expected, and it's forecast Gordon will be a low-end, Category 1 hurricane at landfall late tonight or early Wednesday.

Hurricane warnings are in effect for the Alabama and Mississippi coastlines, with tropical storm warnings extending to Louisiana and the Florida Panhandle.

With strong winds pushing against the coast, there is the concern of a 3-5 foot storm surge in Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi. Storm surge warnings have been issued there, as well.

Stay informed: Download the 10News app for breaking news and weather updates from the 10Weather team

Be prepared: Check your supplies, evacuation zone and more

A few factors are preventing Gordon from quickly strengthening. The first is its speed -- Gordon is moving relatively fast at 17 mph and is losing how much warm Gulf water is has to grow stronger. Once it makes landfall, the storm will weaken rapidly.

The second is wind shear, which is the change in wind direction with height. High shear prevents a storm from organizing or can even tear it apart. In Gordon's case, high shear on the west side of its center is preventing thunderstorms from developing.

Tropical Storm Gordon: Its path and what's to come

The hurricane center's latest "cone of uncertainty" for Tropical Storm Gordon is a good representation of many of the weather computer models: Most are in good agreement the storm will move off to the northwest.

Gordon could make landfall on the western side of the cone, near New Orleans, the east side, near the Alabama/Mississippi border, or anywhere in between. There's a small chance the center of the storm could move outside of the cone.

Click/tap here if you cannot see the image below.

But don't focus solely on the cone as a storm's impact extends far from its center. Although the strongest winds -- again, possibly at least 74 mph as a low-end hurricane -- will be at the center, gusty winds will be contained in the outer rain bands.

Those bands will drop a torrential amount of water across Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and the Florida Panhandle, where the hurricane center says totals could reach as much as 12 inches.

►Make it easy to keep up-to-date with more stories like this. Download the 10News app now.

Have a news tip? Email tips@wtsp.com, or visit our Facebook page or Twitter feed.</s>GULFPORT, Miss. — Residents along the Gulf Coast prepared Tuesday for a sudden increase in heavy rain and winds from quick moving Tropical Storm Gordon, which forecasters said could strengthen and become the second hurricane to hit the region in less than a year.

The lopsided storm gave families a chance to fill sandbags, take patio furniture inside and stock up on batteries and bottled water before the worst weather was to arrive close to nightfall.

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 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.

Gulfport was providing sand and bags to residents, and Kenny Macdonald was filling them up for himself and older residents.

"This is kind of routine to some degree," Macdonald said. "You don't know what the intensity of the storm is going to be. You don't want to take it lightly, of course."

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.

By Tuesday afternoon, the storm was centered 95 miles (155 kilometers) southeast of Biloxi, Mississippi, with top sustained winds of 70 mph (110 kph). 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, allowing them to mobilize state resources and National Guard troops to help during and after the storm.

Mississippi shut down a dozen Gulf Coast casinos as the storm neared. Workers on at least 54 oil and gas production platforms were evacuated.

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.

"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, 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 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.

Associated Press writers Jeff Martin and Ben Nadler in Atlanta; Jay Reeves in Dauphin Island, Alabama; Emily Wagster Pettus and Jeff Amy in Jackson, Mississippi; Kim Chandler in Montgomery, Alabama; Rebecca Santana in New Orleans; Melinda Deslatte in Baton Rouge, Louisiana; and Jeffrey Collins in Columbia, South Carolina, contributed to this report.

Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.</s>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>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.
Tropical Storm Gordon makes landfall near the Alabama–Mississippi border in the United States. One death is reported.