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| Gulf coast residents brace for Hurricane Nate as Trump offers warning | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Hurricane Nate sent residents in the Gulf Coast states of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida scrambling to prepare this weekend, after the storm killed at least 21 people in Central America. | Hurricane Nate sent residents in the Gulf Coast states of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida scrambling to prepare this weekend, after the storm killed at least 21 people in Central America. |
| Louisiana’s governor urged his state’s residents to take Nate seriously, saying the storm “has the potential to do a lot of damage”. “No one should take this storm lightly,” Governor John Bel Edwards said on Friday. “We do want people to be very, very cautious and to not take this storm for granted.” | Louisiana’s governor urged his state’s residents to take Nate seriously, saying the storm “has the potential to do a lot of damage”. “No one should take this storm lightly,” Governor John Bel Edwards said on Friday. “We do want people to be very, very cautious and to not take this storm for granted.” |
| Donald Trump, who has faced sustained criticism over his response to the aftermath of hurricanes Jose and Maria in Puerto Rico – sizeable storms which followed Harvey in Texas and Irma in Miami in a busy and costly hurricane season – said on Twitter: “Our great team at Fema [Federal Emergency Management Administration] is prepared for Hurricane Nate. Everyone in LA, MS, AL and FL please listen to your local authorities and be safe.” | Donald Trump, who has faced sustained criticism over his response to the aftermath of hurricanes Jose and Maria in Puerto Rico – sizeable storms which followed Harvey in Texas and Irma in Miami in a busy and costly hurricane season – said on Twitter: “Our great team at Fema [Federal Emergency Management Administration] is prepared for Hurricane Nate. Everyone in LA, MS, AL and FL please listen to your local authorities and be safe.” |
| Trump was at his golf club in Virginia, where he was expected to go out on the course. | |
| Earlier on Saturday the National Hurricane Center (NHC) in Miami said the core of Nate, now upgraded from tropical storm status to a category 1 hurricane, was located at 7am CDT about 245 miles south-south-east of the mouth of the Mississippi river. A hurricane-hunter plane found the storm had gained new muscle, with top sustained winds rising to at 85mph with a threat of additional strengthening. | Earlier on Saturday the National Hurricane Center (NHC) in Miami said the core of Nate, now upgraded from tropical storm status to a category 1 hurricane, was located at 7am CDT about 245 miles south-south-east of the mouth of the Mississippi river. A hurricane-hunter plane found the storm had gained new muscle, with top sustained winds rising to at 85mph with a threat of additional strengthening. |
| A hurricane warning was in place from Grand Isle, Louisiana, to the Alabama-Florida border and also for metropolitan New Orleans and nearby Lake Pontchartrain. A tropical storm warning extended west of Grand Isle to Morgan City, Louisiana, and around Lake Maurepas and east of the Alabama-Florida border to the Okaloosa-Walton County line in the Florida panhandle. | A hurricane warning was in place from Grand Isle, Louisiana, to the Alabama-Florida border and also for metropolitan New Orleans and nearby Lake Pontchartrain. A tropical storm warning extended west of Grand Isle to Morgan City, Louisiana, and around Lake Maurepas and east of the Alabama-Florida border to the Okaloosa-Walton County line in the Florida panhandle. |
| States of emergency were declared in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. Edwards, who mobilized 1,300 national guard troops, said forecasts indicated the greatest risks were from winds and storm surge, rather than intense amounts of rain. | States of emergency were declared in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. Edwards, who mobilized 1,300 national guard troops, said forecasts indicated the greatest risks were from winds and storm surge, rather than intense amounts of rain. |
| That was good news for New Orleans, where the pumping system remains fragile but was working on Saturday, supervised by 15 national guard troops. Two flash floods this summer led to revelations about personnel and equipment problems at the agency that runs the system. | That was good news for New Orleans, where the pumping system remains fragile but was working on Saturday, supervised by 15 national guard troops. Two flash floods this summer led to revelations about personnel and equipment problems at the agency that runs the system. |
| Mayor Mitch Landrieu said 109 of the 120 pumps were functioning, which is 92% capacity. “We are ready for whatever Nate brings our way,” Landrieu said. | Mayor Mitch Landrieu said 109 of the 120 pumps were functioning, which is 92% capacity. “We are ready for whatever Nate brings our way,” Landrieu said. |
| Nate was forecast to dump 3in to 6in of rain with isolated totals of up to 10in and to strengthen as it made landfall, late on Saturday or early on Sunday. A tropical storm watch extended across Alabama and north-east Georgia, including the Atlanta metro area. | Nate was forecast to dump 3in to 6in of rain with isolated totals of up to 10in and to strengthen as it made landfall, late on Saturday or early on Sunday. A tropical storm watch extended across Alabama and north-east Georgia, including the Atlanta metro area. |
| In New Orleans on Friday, Millard A Green, a bassist, music teacher and actor, looked at grocery shelves that had held cases of bottled water. It was 12.30pm and they were empty. “I thought we were finished with all this hurricane stuff? What you gonna do?” he said. | In New Orleans on Friday, Millard A Green, a bassist, music teacher and actor, looked at grocery shelves that had held cases of bottled water. It was 12.30pm and they were empty. “I thought we were finished with all this hurricane stuff? What you gonna do?” he said. |
| Edwards encouraged people across south-east Louisiana to hunker down by 8pm. Landrieu enacted a 7pm Saturday curfew for New Orleans. The governor said tropical-storm-force winds should reach coastal areas of Louisiana by Saturday afternoon, and coastal areas could see storm surge of as much as 7ft. | Edwards encouraged people across south-east Louisiana to hunker down by 8pm. Landrieu enacted a 7pm Saturday curfew for New Orleans. The governor said tropical-storm-force winds should reach coastal areas of Louisiana by Saturday afternoon, and coastal areas could see storm surge of as much as 7ft. |
| Mississippi’s governor, Phil Bryant, declared a state of emergency in six southernmost counties. State officials, at a briefing on Friday in Gulfport, warned that Nate’s main danger in that state would be from up to 10ft of storm surge in low-lying coastal areas, as well as from winds that could damage mobile homes. | Mississippi’s governor, Phil Bryant, declared a state of emergency in six southernmost counties. State officials, at a briefing on Friday in Gulfport, warned that Nate’s main danger in that state would be from up to 10ft of storm surge in low-lying coastal areas, as well as from winds that could damage mobile homes. |
| “If you are in an area that has flooded, I would recommend you evacuate that area until the storm has ended and the water has receded for your own personal safety and for the safety of the first responders that will be responding in the event you are trapped,” Bryant said. | “If you are in an area that has flooded, I would recommend you evacuate that area until the storm has ended and the water has receded for your own personal safety and for the safety of the first responders that will be responding in the event you are trapped,” Bryant said. |
| On Dauphin Island – a barrier island south of Mobile, Alabama – owners hauled boats out of the water. The major concern was the storm surge projected to coincide with high tide. “The west end of the island floods in a good thunderstorm,” said Chad Palmer, owner of FinAtics Inshore Fishing Charters. | On Dauphin Island – a barrier island south of Mobile, Alabama – owners hauled boats out of the water. The major concern was the storm surge projected to coincide with high tide. “The west end of the island floods in a good thunderstorm,” said Chad Palmer, owner of FinAtics Inshore Fishing Charters. |
| Palmer said Nate did not seem to be causing much concern on an island that has been battered by monster storms such as Hurricane Ivan and Hurricane Katrina. | Palmer said Nate did not seem to be causing much concern on an island that has been battered by monster storms such as Hurricane Ivan and Hurricane Katrina. |
| “Right now people are talking about hurricane parties … This is my personal non-founded opinion, but this thing has got a whole lot of Gulf to cover before we say it’s going to be a little storm,” Palmer said. | “Right now people are talking about hurricane parties … This is my personal non-founded opinion, but this thing has got a whole lot of Gulf to cover before we say it’s going to be a little storm,” Palmer said. |