Hurricane Nate is heading toward the central Gulf of Mexico and is likely to make landfall
in the United States Gulf Coast near New Orleans on Saturday night, the National Hurricane Centre said. Nate is moving at a speed of 35 kmph.
The tropical storm strengthened to a Category 1 hurricane on Friday, BBC reported. While this is not as strong as last month’s Maria and Irma, it will still bring strong winds and surges.
On Friday, it gained force as it sped past Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula after hitting Central America, where it lead to at least 25 deaths, Al Jazeera reported.
Mitch Landrieu, the mayor of New Orleans, has declared a state of emergency. “I want to reiterate this to the people of New Orleans: we have been through this many, many times – there is no need to panic,” Al Jazeera quoted Landrieu as saying.
Authorities in Mississippi and Louisiana also declared a state of emergency and ordered people to evacuate coastal areas, AP reported. Mississippi’s government said it would open 11 evacuation shelters in areas away from the coast, with buses for people who cannot drive.
In the past month, regions around the Atlantic Ocean have been hit by five hurricanes.
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