Tropical Storm Nate is headed toward Mexico and the U.S. Gulf Coast after hitting Central America, leaving at least 22 people dead.
Nate is expected to reach the eastern Yucatan peninsula by Friday evening and the northern Gulf Coast by Saturday evening, according to forecasters.
Here’s what you need to know.
Where is Nate now?
Nate is about 115 miles northeast of Guanaja, Honduras, and about 230 miles south-southeast of Cozumel, Mexico, according to the National Hurricane Center’s 7 a.m. ET Friday advisory.
The storm has maximum sustained winds of 45 mph and is moving north-northwest at 14 mph.
What else do you need to know?
A tropical storm warning is in effect for parts of Honduras and Nicaragua as well as parts of Mexico.
A hurricane watch is in effect for Morgan City, La., to the Mississippi-Alabama border. New Orleans, the Lake Pontchartrain and the Lake Maurepas areas are also under a hurricane watch.
A tropical storm watch is also in effect for west of Morgan City, La., to Intracoastal City, La.
Forecasters predict that Nate will become a hurricane by the time it reaches the northern Gulf of Mexico as it strengthens.
The U.S. Central Gulf Coast states should expect to experience three to six inches of rain, according to the National Hurricane Center.
In Louisiana, Gov. John Bel Edwards already declared a state of emergency and mobilized 1,300 National Guard troops, with 15 headed to New Orleans to monitor the fragile pumping system there.
With forecasts projecting landfall in southeast Louisiana as a Category 1 hurricane, Edwards urged residents to ready for rainfall, storm surge and severe winds — and to be where they intend to hunker down by “dark on Saturday.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
