Tropical-force winds, rain from Gordon slam into Gulf Coast

GULFPORT, Miss. – Tropical-force winds from fast-moving Gordon smashed into the coastline of Alabama and the western Florida Panhandle on Tuesday night, the frontal edge of a system just offshore that forecasters warned could become a hurricane by the time it makes landfall.

Tropical Storm Gordon strengthened some in the final hours as it neared the central Gulf Coast, with sustained winds of 70 mph. The National Hurricane Center said Gordon’s tight core was about 75 miles southeast of Biloxi, Mississippi, or about 70 miles south of Mobile, Alabama, where heavy rains and winds picked up shortly before nightfall.

A hurricane warning was in effect for the Mississippi and Alabama coasts, with the possibility Gordon would become a Category 1 storm. The National Hurricane Center predicted a “lifethreatening” storm surge of 3 to 5 feet along parts of the central Gulf Coast.

Flooding also was a risk. As much as 8 inches of rain could fall in some parts of the Gulf states through late Thursday as the tropical weather moves inland toward Arkansas.

Forecasters said it was possible Gordon’s winds might meet the 74 mph threshold to be a hurricane before making landfall later Tuesday. The last hurricane to strike the U.S. was Nate last October, coming ashore in Biloxi with 75 mph winds.

Governors in Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana all declared states of emergency to better mobilize state resources and National Guard troops for the storm. Mississippi shut down a dozen Gulf Coast casinos. Workers on at least 54 oil and gas production platforms were evacuated.