Gulf Coast braces itself ‘for whatever Gordon may bring’

Schools were closed and states of emergency were declared as the Gulf Coast braced for the heavy rains, high winds and storm surge of Tropical Storm Gordon, forecast to make landfall as a hurricane late Tuesday evening in Louisiana, Mississippi or Alabama.

As of late Tuesday afternoon, Gordon’s winds had strengthened to 70 mph, just 4 mph short of hurricane status.

“Please make your final preparations today in advance of #Gordon making landfall tonight,” Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant tweeted.

Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards also declared a state of emergency, saying hundreds of National Guard members would be deployed in coastal areas. Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey issued a similar declaration.

“All coastal Alabama residents need to prepare now ahead of tonight’s potential landfall,” she tweeted. “Our state will be ready for whatever Gordon may bring.”

The governors of Florida and Texas said they were monitoring developments.

The National Hurricane Center called the storm “lifethreatening” and warned that tornadoes were possible in Mississippi, Alabama and the Florida Panhandle.

The hurricane warning stretched from the Pearl River that separates Mississippi and Louisiana to the AlabamaFlorida border.

The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency set up locations for residents to pick up sandbags. In Biloxi, Mississippi, Mary Smith stocked up on supplies.

“Cold drinks, bread and, you know, canned foods,” Smith said, listing her purchases.

Gordon was expected to dump 4 to 8 inches of rain over the western Florida Panhandle, southwest Alabama, southern and central Mississippi, eastern Louisiana and southern Arkansas, the National Weather Service said.

Isolated maximum amounts of 12 inches could pound the area through late Thursday, and flash flooding was expected for much of the region.