A storm that has already killed 22 people in Costa Rica and Nicaragua is barreling toward the Gulf Coast. Hurricane Nate, is expected to make landfall late Saturday night or Sunday morning as a hurricane.
The Washington Post reports that the National Hurricane Center has issued warnings for Southeastern Louisiana, coastal Mississippi and Alabama. New Orleans is also at risk, as is Pensacola, Fla. Both are under hurricane watches, with tropical-storm force winds expected to hit the Gulf as early as tomorrow afternoon.
The Hurricane Center urged everyone in Nate’s path to protect life and property “should be rushed to completion.”
As the Post notes, New Orleans is under particular focus because of the potential for floods and storm surging. It’s likely, according to forecasters, that Hurricane Nate will strengthen before making landfall in the U.S. If the storm hits west of New Orleans, the Post reports, the city could expect a surge of 5-8 feet.
Flooding rain could also cause structural damage to buildings, and may even wash some buildings and roads away, according to the National Weather service.
September marked the single most active month for Atlantic hurricanes in recorded history. According to Quartz, 2017 is among the top ten most active seasons on record, and it isn’t scheduled to end until November.
The Caribbean and the Gulf Coast have been hit particularly hard this past month. Puerto Rico is still reeling from the effects of Hurricane Maria, as are Texas and Florida from Harvey and Irma, respectively.
Read more at The Washington Post.
