U.S. states declare emergency ahead of storm

Nate menacing New Orleans, other areas along Gulf.

The MANAGUA,NICARAGUA— National Hurricane Center in Miami has issued a hurricane warning for metropolitan New Orleans and Lake Pontchartrain.

Thewarningcomes ontop of one issued earlier Friday for the area between Grand Isle, Louisiana, and the Alabama-Florida border.

The NHC says Tropical Storm Nate was growing in strength and was expected to be a hurricane by the time it reaches the U.S. late today or early Sunday.

NatebarreledthroughCentral America earlier in the week, claiming at least 21 lives. It is expected to pass near orover thecoast ofMexico’s Yucatan peninsula late Friday.

Louisiana and Mississippi officials declared states of state of emergency and Louisiana ordered some people to evacuate coastal areas and barrier islands ahead of its expected landfall tonight or early Sunday. Evacuations began at some offshore oil platforms in the Gulf.

Mississippi’s government said it would open 11 evacuation shelters in areas away from the immediate coast, with buses available for people who can’t drive.

The U.S. National HurricaneCenterwarnedthatNate could raise sea levels by 4 to 7 feet fromMorgan City, Louisiana, to the Alabama-Florida border. It had already had caused deadly flooding inmuch of Central America.

The storm had maximum sustained winds of 50 mph by Friday morning and was likely to strengthen over the northwestern Caribbean Sea on Friday before a possible strike on the Cancun region at the tip ofMexico’sYucatan Peninsula at near-hurricane strength. It could hit theU.S. Gulf coast nearNewOrleans.

The storm was located about 125 miles east-southeast of the Mexican resort island of Cozumel and had accelerated its north-northwest movement to 21 mph.

In Nicaragua, Nate’s arrival followed two weeks of near-constant rain that had left the groundsaturated and rivers swollen. Authorities placed the whole country on alert and warned of flooding and landslides.

Nicaragua’s vice president and spokeswoman, Rosario Murillo, said that at least 11 people haddied in that country due to the storm. Earlier Thursday she had said 15 people had died before later revising to say some of those were still counted as missing. She didn’t give details on all the deaths, but said two women and a man who worked for the Health Ministrywere sweptaway by a flooded canal in the centralmunicipality of Juigalpa.

Costa Rica’s Judicial Investigation Organism blamed seven deaths in that country on the stormand said 15 people were missing. Flooding drove 5,000 residents into emergency shelters.

In Honduras, there were three dead and three missing, according to Oscar Triminio, spokesman for the country’s firefighters.

Damage caused by the storm promptedCosta Rican officials to postpone aWorld Cup qualifying soccermatch between that country and Honduras, which had been scheduled for Friday night.

InLouisiana, Gov. JohnBel Edwards declared a state of emergency and mobilized 1,300NationalGuardtroops, with 15 headed to New Orleans to monitor the fragile pumping system there.

With forecasts projecting landfall in southeast Louisianaas aCategory1hurricane, Edwards urged residents to readyfor rainfall, stormsurge and severe winds— and to be where they intend to hunker downby “dark onSaturday.”

Louisiana’s governor said Nate is forecast to move quickly, rather than stall and droptremendousamountsof rainonthestate. Stateofficials hope that means New Orleanswon’t run into problems with its pumps being able to handle the water.

Edwards warned, however, against underestimating the storm.

The National Hurricane Center issued a hurricane warningfromGrandIsle, Louisiana to the Alabama-Florida border.

Officials ordered the evacuation of part of coastal St. Bernard Parish east of New Orleans ahead of the storm. EarlierThursday, a voluntary evacuation was called in the barrier island townof Grand Isle south of New Orleans.

NewOrleans officials outlinedstepstobolsterthecity’s pump and drainage system. Weaknesses in that system were revealed during summer flash floods.

The Bureau of Safety and EnvironmentalEnforcement’s New Orleans office said in a news release that as of midday Thursday, six production platforms, out of the 737 mannedplatformsintheGulf, hadbeenevacuated. Nodrilling rigswere evacuated, but one moveable rigwas taken out of the storm’s path.

The agency estimated less than 15 percent of the current oil production in the Gulf of Mexico has been shut-in, which equates to 254,607 barrels of oil per day.