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More Wind Than Rain, Karen Slogs Towards N. Gulf Coast

By: Derek // News Briefs, US News

On Saturday, the National Hurricane Center reported that Tropical Storm Karen’s winds have dropped to 40 mph and should decrease even more later in the day. With the threat of wind damage diminishing, residents of the northern Gulf Coast area are preparing themselves to deal with anywhere from 3 to 6 inches of the stuff by Monday.

Not a deluge to be sure, but areas of Louisiana and Mississippi permanently scarred by memories of Hurricane Katrina in 2005 can’t be blamed for getting skittish any time a storm comes calling. A tropical storm warning presently centers on the border between the two states, with a watch extending west to the New Orleans area and east to Indian Pass, Fl.

Though forecasters say Karen is no longer a threat to evolve into a hurricane, the storm could strengthen somewhat when it makes landfall late Saturday or early Sunday. As only the second named storm since June, Karen is a late addition to what has been a slow hurricane season set to expire at the end of October.

Despite the storm’s somewhat diminutive stature, low-lying areas of the Gulf Coast region that rely on levee systems to contain excessive rainwater are complying with mandatory evacuations.

For current hurricane updates visit the National Hurricane Center website.

(Image: Flickr | yahoo201027)