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Tropical Storm Claudette forms, bringing rain, floods to Gulf Coast

The expectation is, this weather event will be uh focused on rain, not so much on the wind, although 35-40 mile an hour wind when you have saturated ground, can easily uproot trees and and so forth. So that hazard is still there. Obviously, a lot will depend upon the exact track that the storm takes and how fast it moves. Um But we can expect all of south Louisiana to be impacted. The range of rainfall will be somewhere between one inch and eight inches. Uh Right now, the expectation is that the eastern side of the storm will have the most significant impacts. The expectation is, this weather event will be uh focused on rain, not so much on the wind, although 35-40 mile an hour wind when you have saturated ground, can easily uproot trees and and so forth. So that hazard is still there. Obviously, a lot will depend upon the exact track that the storm takes and how fast it moves. Um But we can expect all of south Louisiana to be impacted. The range of rainfall will be somewhere between one inch and eight inches. Uh Right now, the expectation is that the eastern side of the storm will have the most significant impacts. The expectation is, this weather event will be uh focused on rain, not so much on the wind, although 35-40 mile an hour wind when you have saturated ground, can easily uproot trees and and so forth. So that hazard is still there. Obviously, a lot will depend upon the exact track that the storm takes and how fast it moves. Um But we can expect all of south Louisiana to be impacted. The range of rainfall will be somewhere between one inch and eight inches. Uh Right now, the expectation is that the eastern side of the storm will have the most significant impacts. The expectation is, this weather event will be uh focused on rain, not so much on the wind, although 35-40 mile an hour wind when you have saturated ground, can easily uproot trees and and so forth. So that hazard is still there. Obviously, a lot will depend upon the exact track that the storm takes and how fast it moves. Um But we can expect all of south Louisiana to be impacted. The range of rainfall will be somewhere between one inch and eight inches. Uh Right now, the expectation is that the eastern side of the storm will have the most significant impacts. The expectation is, this weather event will be uh focused on rain, not so much on the wind, although 35-40 mile an hour wind when you have saturated ground, can easily uproot trees and and so forth. So that hazard is still there. Obviously, a lot will depend upon the exact track that the storm takes and how fast it moves. Um But we can expect all of south Louisiana to be impacted. The range of rainfall will be somewhere between one inch and eight inches. Uh Right now, the expectation is that the eastern side of the storm will have the most significant impacts. The expectation is, this weather event will be uh focused on rain, not so much on the wind, although 35-40 mile an hour wind when you have saturated ground, can easily uproot trees and and so forth. So that hazard is still there. Obviously, a lot will depend upon the exact track that the storm takes and how fast it moves. Um But we can expect all of south Louisiana to be impacted. The range of rainfall will be somewhere between one inch and eight inches. Uh Right now, the expectation is that the eastern side of the storm will have the most significant impacts. The expectation is, this weather event will be uh focused on rain, not so much on the wind, although 35-40 mile an hour wind when you have saturated ground, can easily uproot trees and and so forth. So that hazard is still there. Obviously, a lot will depend upon the exact track that the storm takes and how fast it moves. Um But we can expect all of south Louisiana to be impacted. The range of rainfall will be somewhere between one inch and eight inches. Uh Right now, the expectation is that the eastern side of the storm will have the most significant impacts. The expectation is, this weather event will be uh focused on rain, not so much on the wind, although 35-40 mile an hour wind when you have saturated ground, can easily uproot trees and and so forth. So that hazard is still there. Obviously, a lot will depend upon the exact track that the storm takes and how fast it moves. Um But we can expect all of south Louisiana to be impacted. The range of rainfall will be somewhere between one inch and eight inches. Uh Right now, the expectation is that the eastern side of the storm will have the most significant impacts. The expectation is, this weather event will be uh focused on rain, not so much on the wind, although 35-40 mile an hour wind when you have saturated ground, can easily uproot trees and and so forth. So that hazard is still there. Obviously, a lot will depend upon the exact track that the storm takes and how fast it moves. Um But we can expect all of south Louisiana to be impacted. The range of rainfall will be somewhere between one inch and eight inches. Uh Right now, the expectation is that the eastern side of the storm will have the most significant impacts. The expectation is, this weather event will be uh focused on rain, not so much on the wind, although 35-40 mile an hour wind when you have saturated ground, can easily uproot trees and and so forth. So that hazard is still there. Obviously, a lot will depend upon the exact track that the storm takes and how fast it moves. Um But we can expect all of south Louisiana to be impacted. The range of rainfall will be somewhere between one inch and eight inches. Uh Right now, the expectation is that the eastern side of the storm will have the most significant impacts. The expectation is, this weather event will be uh focused on rain, not so much on the wind, although 35-40 mile an hour wind when you have saturated ground, can easily uproot trees and and so forth. So that hazard is still there. Obviously, a lot will depend upon the exact track that the storm takes and how fast it moves. Um But we can expect all of south Louisiana to be impacted. The range of rainfall will be somewhere between one inch and eight inches. Uh Right now, the expectation is that the eastern side of the storm will have the most significant impacts. The expectation is, this weather event will be uh focused on rain, not so much on the wind, although 35-40 mile an hour wind when you have saturated ground, can easily uproot trees and and so forth. So that hazard is still there. Obviously, a lot will depend upon the exact track that the storm takes and how fast it moves. Um But we can expect all of south Louisiana to be impacted. The range of rainfall will be somewhere between one inch and eight inches. Uh Right now, the expectation is that the eastern side of the storm will have the most significant impacts. The expectation is, this weather event will be uh focused on rain, not so much on the wind, although 35-40 mile an hour wind when you have saturated ground, can easily uproot trees and and so forth. So that hazard is still there. Obviously, a lot will depend upon the exact track that the storm takes and how fast it moves. Um But we can expect all of south Louisiana to be impacted. The range of rainfall will be somewhere between one inch and eight inches. Uh Right now, the expectation is that the eastern side of the storm will have the most significant impacts. The expectation is, this weather event will be uh focused on rain, not so much on the wind, although 35-40 mile an hour wind when you have saturated ground, can easily uproot trees and and so forth. So that hazard is still there. Obviously, a lot will depend upon the exact track that the storm takes and how fast it moves. Um But we can expect all of south Louisiana to be impacted. The range of rainfall will be somewhere between one inch and eight inches. Uh Right now, the expectation is that the eastern side of the storm will have the most significant impacts. The expectation is, this weather event will be uh focused on rain, not so much on the wind, although 35-40 mile an hour wind when you have saturated ground, can easily uproot trees and and so forth. So that hazard is still there. Obviously, a lot will depend upon the exact track that the storm takes and how fast it moves. Um But we can expect all of south Louisiana to be impacted. The range of rainfall will be somewhere between one inch and eight inches. Uh Right now, the expectation is that the eastern side of the storm will have the most significant impacts. The expectation is, this weather event will be uh focused on rain, not so much on the wind, although 35-40 mile an hour wind when you have saturated ground, can easily uproot trees and and so forth. So that hazard is still there. Obviously, a lot will depend upon the exact track that the storm takes and how fast it moves. Um But we can expect all of south Louisiana to be impacted. The range of rainfall will be somewhere between one inch and eight inches. Uh Right now, the expectation is that the eastern side of the storm will have the most significant impacts. The expectation is, this weather event will be uh focused on rain, not so much on the wind, although 35-40 mile an hour wind when you have saturated ground, can easily uproot trees and and so forth. So that hazard is still there. Obviously, a lot will depend upon the exact track that the storm takes and how fast it moves. Um But we can expect all of south Louisiana to be impacted. The range of rainfall will be somewhere between one inch and eight inches. Uh Right now, the expectation is that the eastern side of the storm will have the most significant impacts. The expectation is, this weather event will be uh focused on rain, not so much on the wind, although 35-40 mile an hour wind when you have saturated ground, can easily uproot trees and and so forth. So that hazard is still there. Obviously, a lot will depend upon the exact track that the storm takes and how fast it moves. Um But we can expect all of south Louisiana to be impacted. The range of rainfall will be somewhere between one inch and eight inches. Uh Right now, the expectation is that the eastern side of the storm will have the most significant impacts. The expectation is, this weather event will be uh focused on rain, not so much on the wind, although 35-40 mile an hour wind when you have saturated ground, can easily uproot trees and and so forth. So that hazard is still there. Obviously, a lot will depend upon the exact track that the storm takes and how fast it moves. Um But we can expect all of south Louisiana to be impacted. The range of rainfall will be somewhere between one inch and eight inches. Uh Right now, the expectation is that the eastern side of the storm will have the most significant impacts. The expectation is, this weather event will be uh focused on rain, not so much on the wind, although 35-40 mile an hour wind when you have saturated ground, can easily uproot trees and and so forth. So that hazard is still there. Obviously, a lot will depend upon the exact track that the storm takes and how fast it moves. Um But we can expect all of south Louisiana to be impacted. The range of rainfall will be somewhere between one inch and eight inches. Uh Right now, the expectation is that the eastern side of the storm will have the most significant impacts. The expectation is, this weather event will be uh focused on rain, not so much on the wind, although 35-40 mile an hour wind when you have saturated ground, can easily uproot trees and and so forth. So that hazard is still there. Obviously, a lot will depend upon the exact track that the storm takes and how fast it moves. Um But we can expect all of south Louisiana to be impacted. The range of rainfall will be somewhere between one inch and eight inches. Uh Right now, the expectation is that the eastern side of the storm will have the most significant impacts. The expectation is, this weather event will be uh focused on rain, not so much on the wind, although 35-40 mile an hour wind when you have saturated ground, can easily uproot trees and and so forth. So that hazard is still there. Obviously, a lot will depend upon the exact track that the storm takes and how fast it moves. Um But we can expect all of south Louisiana to be impacted. The range of rainfall will be somewhere between one inch and eight inches. Uh Right now, the expectation is that the eastern side of the storm will have the most significant impacts. The expectation is, this weather event will be uh focused on rain, not so much on the wind, although 35-40 mile an hour wind when you have saturated ground, can easily uproot trees and and so forth. So that hazard is still there. Obviously, a lot will depend upon the exact track that the storm takes and how fast it moves. Um But we can expect all of south Louisiana to be impacted. The range of rainfall will be somewhere between one inch and eight inches. Uh Right now, the expectation is that the eastern side of the storm will have the most significant impacts. The expectation is, this weather event will be uh focused on rain, not so much on the wind, although 35-40 mile an hour wind when you have saturated ground, can easily uproot trees and and so forth. So that hazard is still there. Obviously, a lot will depend upon the exact track that the storm takes and how fast it moves. Um But we can expect all of south Louisiana to be impacted. The range of rainfall will be somewhere between one inch and eight inches. Uh Right now, the expectation is that the eastern side of the storm will have the most significant impacts. The expectation is, this weather event will be uh focused on rain, not so much on the wind, although 35-40 mile an hour wind when you have saturated ground, can easily uproot trees and and so forth. So that hazard is still there. Obviously, a lot will depend upon the exact track that the storm takes and how fast it moves. Um But we can expect all of south Louisiana to be impacted. The range of rainfall will be somewhere between one inch and eight inches. Uh Right now, the expectation is that the eastern side of the storm will have the most significant impacts. The expectation is, this weather event will be uh focused on rain, not so much on the wind, although 35-40 mile an hour wind when you have saturated ground, can easily uproot trees and and so forth. So that hazard is still there. Obviously, a lot will depend upon the exact track that the storm takes and how fast it moves. Um But we can expect all of south Louisiana to be impacted. The range of rainfall will be somewhere between one inch and eight inches. Uh Right now, the expectation is that the eastern side of the storm will have the most significant impacts. The expectation is, this weather event will be uh focused on rain, not so much on the wind, although 35-40 mile an hour wind when you have saturated ground, can easily uproot trees and and so forth. So that hazard is still there. Obviously, a lot will depend upon the exact track that the storm takes and how fast it moves. Um But we can expect all of south Louisiana to be impacted. The range of rainfall will be somewhere between one inch and eight inches. Uh Right now, the expectation is that the eastern side of the storm will have the most significant impacts. The expectation is, this weather event will be uh focused on rain, not so much on the wind, although 35-40 mile an hour wind when you have saturated ground, can easily uproot trees and and so forth. So that hazard is still there. Obviously, a lot will depend upon the exact track that the storm takes and how fast it moves. Um But we can expect all of south Louisiana to be impacted. The range of rainfall will be somewhere between one inch and eight inches. Uh Right now, the expectation is that the eastern side of the storm will have the most significant impacts. The expectation is, this weather event will be uh focused on rain, not so much on the wind, although 35-40 mile an hour wind when you have saturated ground, can easily uproot trees and and so forth. So that hazard is still there. Obviously, a lot will depend upon the exact track that the storm takes and how fast it moves. Um But we can expect all of south Louisiana to be impacted. The range of rainfall will be somewhere between one inch and eight inches. Uh Right now, the expectation is that the eastern side of the storm will have the most significant impacts. The expectation is, this weather event will be uh focused on rain, not so much on the wind, although 35-40 mile an hour wind when you have saturated ground, can easily uproot trees and and so forth. So that hazard is still there. Obviously, a lot will depend upon the exact track that the storm takes and how fast it moves. Um But we can expect all of south Louisiana to be impacted. The range of rainfall will be somewhere between one inch and eight inches. Uh Right now, the expectation is that the eastern side of the storm will have the most significant impacts. The expectation is, this weather event will be uh focused on rain, not so much on the wind, although 35-40 mile an hour wind when you have saturated ground, can easily uproot trees and and so forth. So that hazard is still there. Obviously, a lot will depend upon the exact track that the storm takes and how fast it moves. Um But we can expect all of south Louisiana to be impacted. The range of rainfall will be somewhere between one inch and eight inches. Uh Right now, the expectation is that the eastern side of the storm will have the most significant impacts. The expectation is, this weather event will be uh focused on rain, not so much on the wind, although 35-40 mile an hour wind when you have saturated ground, can easily uproot trees and and so forth. So that hazard is still there. Obviously, a lot will depend upon the exact track that the storm takes and how fast it moves. Um But we can expect all of south Louisiana to be impacted. The range of rainfall will be somewhere between one inch and eight inches. Uh Right now, the expectation is that the eastern side of the storm will have the most significant impacts. The expectation is, this weather event will be uh focused on rain, not so much on the wind, although 35-40 mile an hour wind when you have saturated ground, can easily uproot trees and and so forth. So that hazard is still there. Obviously, a lot will depend upon the exact track that the storm takes and how fast it moves. Um But we can expect all of south Louisiana to be impacted. The range of rainfall will be somewhere between one inch and eight inches. Uh Right now, the expectation is that the eastern side of the storm will have the most significant impacts. The expectation is, this weather event will be uh focused on rain, not so much on the wind, although 35-40 mile an hour wind when you have saturated ground, can easily uproot trees and and so forth. So that hazard is still there. Obviously, a lot will depend upon the exact track that the storm takes and how fast it moves. Um But we can expect all of south Louisiana to be impacted. The range of rainfall will be somewhere between one inch and eight inches. Uh Right now, the expectation is that the eastern side of the storm will have the most significant impacts. The expectation is, this weather event will be uh focused on rain, not so much on the wind, although 35-40 mile an hour wind when you have saturated ground, can easily uproot trees and and so forth. So that hazard is still there. Obviously, a lot will depend upon the exact track that the storm takes and how fast it moves. Um But we can expect all of south Louisiana to be impacted. The range of rainfall will be somewhere between one inch and eight inches. Uh Right now, the expectation is that the eastern side of the storm will have the most significant impacts. The expectation is, this weather event will be uh focused on rain, not so much on the wind, although 35-40 mile an hour wind when you have saturated ground, can easily uproot trees and and so forth. So that hazard is still there. Obviously, a lot will depend upon the exact track that the storm takes and how fast it moves. Um But we can expect all of south Louisiana to be impacted. The range of rainfall will be somewhere between one inch and eight inches. Uh Right now, the expectation is that the eastern side of the storm will have the most significant impacts. The expectation is, this weather event will be uh focused on rain, not so much on the wind, although 35-40 mile an hour wind when you have saturated ground, can easily uproot trees and and so forth. So that hazard is still there. Obviously, a lot will depend upon the exact track that the storm takes and how fast it moves. Um But we can expect all of south Louisiana to be impacted. The range of rainfall will be somewhere between one inch and eight inches. Uh Right now, the expectation is that the eastern side of the storm will have the most significant impacts. The expectation is, this weather event will be uh focused on rain, not so much on the wind, although 35-40 mile an hour wind when you have saturated ground, can easily uproot trees and and so forth. So that hazard is still there. Obviously, a lot will depend upon the exact track that the storm takes and how fast it moves. Um But we can expect all of south Louisiana to be impacted. The range of rainfall will be somewhere between one inch and eight inches. Uh Right now, the expectation is that the eastern side of the storm will have the most significant impacts. The expectation is, this weather event will be uh focused on rain, not so much on the wind, although 35-40 mile an hour wind when you have saturated ground, can easily uproot trees and and so forth. So that hazard is still there. Obviously, a lot will depend upon the exact track that the storm takes and how fast it moves. Um But we can expect all of south Louisiana to be impacted. The range of rainfall will be somewhere between one inch and eight inches. Uh Right now, the expectation is that the eastern side of the storm will have the most significant impacts. The expectation is, this weather event will be uh focused on rain, not so much on the wind, although 35-40 mile an hour wind when you have saturated ground, can easily uproot trees and and so forth. So that hazard is still there. Obviously, a lot will depend upon the exact track that the storm takes and how fast it moves. Um But we can expect all of south Louisiana to be impacted. The range of rainfall will be somewhere between one inch and eight inches. Uh Right now, the expectation is that the eastern side of the storm will have the most significant impacts.

Tropical Storm Claudette forms, bringing rain, floods to Gulf Coast

Tropical Storm Claudette formed Saturday morning along the U.S. Gulf Coast, bringing heavy rains and flooding to coastal states including Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.The National Hurricane Center in Miami said in a 4 a.m. CDT advisory that the storm was located 45 miles southwest of New Orleans with maximum sustained winds of 45 mph. The center of Claudette was located inland, and the storm was forecast to weaken into a depression by Saturday night.With virus restrictions loosened and summer near, business owners across the Gulf Coast — everyone from restaurateurs to swamp boat operators — had been anticipating an influx of tourist cash after a year of lost revenue due to the coronavirus pandemic and relentless storms. But those hopes have been dimmed by the storm.“My biggest concern is that it drives away a busy weekend, and may just end up being a lot of rain,” said Austin Sumrall, the owner and chef at the White Pillars Restaurant and Lounge in Biloxi, Mississippi. He had 170 reservations on his books for Sunday but was concerned some patrons would cancel. “We saw, especially last year, the rug can get jerked out from under you pretty quickly,” he said.The storm was expected to dump anywhere from 5 to 10 inches of rain along parts of the Gulf Coast — even 15 inches in isolated areas, according to forecasters at the hurricane center.Flooding had already begun overnight Friday into Saturday, with local reports of high water over roads and stranded vehicles. Flash flood warnings dotted the coast while flood watches were in effect well inland for parts of Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, and central and northern Georgia.Louisiana swamp tour boat captain Darrin Coulon spent Friday securing boats to docks, having already canceled popular weekend tours.“I’m sure the area’s going to have some flooding,” Coulon lamented.Dealing with tropical storms is nothing new for Coulon, who said he jokingly tells people he’s from the “cone of uncertainty,” referring to a term that forecasters use.In Louisiana, the threat came a month after spring storms and flooding that were blamed for five deaths, and as parts of the state continued a slow recovery from a brutal 2020 hurricane season. That included Tropical Storm Cristobal that opened the season last June, hurricanes Laura and Delta that devastated southwest Louisiana, and Hurricane Zeta that downed trees and knocked out power for days in New Orleans in October.Claudette had maximum sustained winds of 45 mph. It was moving north-northeast Saturday morning at 12 mph.“I hope it just gets in and gets out,” said Greg Paddie, manager of Tacky Jack’s, a restaurant at Alabama’s Orange Beach.Paddie said the restaurant still has sandbags left over from its preparations for last year’s Hurricane Sally. That September storm, blamed for two deaths, threw ships onto dry land and knocked out power to hundreds of thousands of people in Alabama and in the Florida Panhandle.Disappointment was evident in the voice of Seneca Hampton, an organizer of the Juneteenth Freedom Festival in Gautier, on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. He spent weeks arranging food trucks, vendors, a bounce house, face painting and free hamburgers and hot dogs for the event. It was highly anticipated because last year’s was canceled due to the pandemic and because of Juneteenth’s new designation as a federal holiday.“It’s something that means a lot to people, and there were people that were bummed out, like ‘I already had in my mind I was coming out there to celebrate,’” said Hampton.The Gautier event was postponed until next month. A Juneteenth event in Selma, Alabama, was postponed until August.By Friday evening, storm clusters were dumping rain up to 4 inches an hour along parts of the Louisiana and Mississippi coasts, said Benjamin Schott, meteorologist in charge at the National Weather Service office in Slidell, Louisiana.A tropical storm warning extended from Morgan City, Louisiana, to the Okaloosa-Walton County line in the Florida Panhandle.Meanwhile, Mexico was threatened by a storm in the Pacific. Tropical Storm Dolores formed Friday with landfall expected on its west-central coast Saturday evening, possibly near hurricane strength, according to the National Hurricane Center.___Martin reported from Marietta, Georgia. Associated Press writers Leah Willingham in Jackson, Mississippi; Jay Reeves in Birmingham, Alabama; Chevel Johnson in New Orleans and Stacey Plaisance in Crown Point, Louisiana, contributed to this report.

NEW ORLEANS —

Tropical Storm Claudette formed Saturday morning along the U.S. Gulf Coast, bringing heavy rains and flooding to coastal states including Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.

The National Hurricane Center in Miami said in a 4 a.m. CDT advisory that the storm was located 45 miles southwest of New Orleans with maximum sustained winds of 45 mph.

The center of Claudette was located inland, and the storm was forecast to weaken into a depression by Saturday night.

With virus restrictions loosened and summer near, business owners across the Gulf Coast — everyone from restaurateurs to swamp boat operators — had been anticipating an influx of tourist cash after a year of lost revenue due to the coronavirus pandemic and relentless storms. But those hopes have been dimmed by the storm.

“My biggest concern is that it drives away a busy weekend, and may just end up being a lot of rain,” said Austin Sumrall, the owner and chef at the White Pillars Restaurant and Lounge in Biloxi, Mississippi. He had 170 reservations on his books for Sunday but was concerned some patrons would cancel. “We saw, especially last year, the rug can get jerked out from under you pretty quickly,” he said.

The storm was expected to dump anywhere from 5 to 10 inches of rain along parts of the Gulf Coast — even 15 inches in isolated areas, according to forecasters at the hurricane center.

Flooding had already begun overnight Friday into Saturday, with local reports of high water over roads and stranded vehicles. Flash flood warnings dotted the coast while flood watches were in effect well inland for parts of Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, and central and northern Georgia.

Louisiana swamp tour boat captain Darrin Coulon spent Friday securing boats to docks, having already canceled popular weekend tours.

“I’m sure the area’s going to have some flooding,” Coulon lamented.

Dealing with tropical storms is nothing new for Coulon, who said he jokingly tells people he’s from the “cone of uncertainty,” referring to a term that forecasters use.

In Louisiana, the threat came a month after spring storms and flooding that were blamed for five deaths, and as parts of the state continued a slow recovery from a brutal 2020 hurricane season. That included Tropical Storm Cristobal that opened the season last June, hurricanes Laura and Delta that devastated southwest Louisiana, and Hurricane Zeta that downed trees and knocked out power for days in New Orleans in October.

Claudette had maximum sustained winds of 45 mph. It was moving north-northeast Saturday morning at 12 mph.

“I hope it just gets in and gets out,” said Greg Paddie, manager of Tacky Jack’s, a restaurant at Alabama’s Orange Beach.

Paddie said the restaurant still has sandbags left over from its preparations for last year’s Hurricane Sally. That September storm, blamed for two deaths, threw ships onto dry land and knocked out power to hundreds of thousands of people in Alabama and in the Florida Panhandle.

Disappointment was evident in the voice of Seneca Hampton, an organizer of the Juneteenth Freedom Festival in Gautier, on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. He spent weeks arranging food trucks, vendors, a bounce house, face painting and free hamburgers and hot dogs for the event. It was highly anticipated because last year’s was canceled due to the pandemic and because of Juneteenth’s new designation as a federal holiday.

“It’s something that means a lot to people, and there were people that were bummed out, like ‘I already had in my mind I was coming out there to celebrate,’” said Hampton.

The Gautier event was postponed until next month. A Juneteenth event in Selma, Alabama, was postponed until August.

By Friday evening, storm clusters were dumping rain up to 4 inches an hour along parts of the Louisiana and Mississippi coasts, said Benjamin Schott, meteorologist in charge at the National Weather Service office in Slidell, Louisiana.

A tropical storm warning extended from Morgan City, Louisiana, to the Okaloosa-Walton County line in the Florida Panhandle.

Meanwhile, Mexico was threatened by a storm in the Pacific. Tropical Storm Dolores formed Friday with landfall expected on its west-central coast Saturday evening, possibly near hurricane strength, according to the National Hurricane Center.

___

Martin reported from Marietta, Georgia. Associated Press writers Leah Willingham in Jackson, Mississippi; Jay Reeves in Birmingham, Alabama; Chevel Johnson in New Orleans and Stacey Plaisance in Crown Point, Louisiana, contributed to this report.