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| US states braced for Gulf storm | |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| Weather forecasters in the US have warned that a tropical storm could gain near-hurricane strength winds before reaching Texas or Louisiana. | |
| The National Hurricane Center (NHC) said Tropical Storm Edouard was crossing the Gulf of Mexico and could reach Texas or Louisiana by Tuesday. | |
| Gusts have reached 50mph (85 km/h) and are likely to strengthen. | |
| Workers were forced to leave some offshore oil facilities as the storm approached, but no damage is reported. | |
| The Louisiana Offshore Oil Port has stopped offloading tankers and two oil firms were evacuating workers from platforms, Reuters news agency said. | |
| Chevron and Royal Dutch Shell said they were removing employees from rigs as a precaution, but both insisted that production had not been affected. | Chevron and Royal Dutch Shell said they were removing employees from rigs as a precaution, but both insisted that production had not been affected. |
| Oil prices dropped below $120 a barrel on Monday for the first time since early May as it appeared unlikely that the storm would affect oil and gas facilities. | |
| The Houston Ship Channel has also closed. | The Houston Ship Channel has also closed. |
| State of disaster | State of disaster |
| A hurricane watch was in place from west of Intracoastal City, Louisiana, to Port O'Connor, Texas. | A hurricane watch was in place from west of Intracoastal City, Louisiana, to Port O'Connor, Texas. |
| At 1000 CDT (1600 BST) Edouard was 160 miles (260km) south-southeast of Lafayette, Louisiana and 265 miles (425km) east-southeast of Galveston, Texas, a statement by the NHC said. | At 1000 CDT (1600 BST) Edouard was 160 miles (260km) south-southeast of Lafayette, Louisiana and 265 miles (425km) east-southeast of Galveston, Texas, a statement by the NHC said. |
| "Edouard could be nearing hurricane strength before reaching the coastline," it added. | "Edouard could be nearing hurricane strength before reaching the coastline," it added. |
| Rainfall of 3ins to 5ins (7.6cm to (12.7cm) was predicted in Louisiana, and up to 10 inches (25.4cm) in Texas. | Rainfall of 3ins to 5ins (7.6cm to (12.7cm) was predicted in Louisiana, and up to 10 inches (25.4cm) in Texas. |
| With winds extending outwards from the centre of a tropical storm for 35 miles (75km), residents were braced for the second bout of severe weather to batter the Gulf's coastline in a month. | With winds extending outwards from the centre of a tropical storm for 35 miles (75km), residents were braced for the second bout of severe weather to batter the Gulf's coastline in a month. |
| On 24 July, a state of disaster was declared in 14 Texas counties when Tropical Storm Dolly lashed the state's coast at hurricane-strength winds of 100mph (161km/h). | On 24 July, a state of disaster was declared in 14 Texas counties when Tropical Storm Dolly lashed the state's coast at hurricane-strength winds of 100mph (161km/h). |
| The Gulf of Mexico supplies about 25% of the US's crude oil. | The Gulf of Mexico supplies about 25% of the US's crude oil. |