Tropical Storm Nate leaves 21 dead as it churns toward Louisiana

Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, 2005. — (Image credit: Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

Tropical Storm Nate was clocking 50 mph winds Friday as it swept toward the Gulf Coast, leaving an estimated 21 people dead after passing over Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Honduras on Thursday, CNN reports:

Nate is expected to worsen into a category 1 hurricane over the weekend as it makes landfall near New Orleans and sweeps toward the border of Alabama and Florida. "There is no need to panic," said New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu (D) after declaring a state of emergency. "Be ready and prepare. Get a plan. Prepare to protect your personal property." Gov. John Bel Edwards (D) has also declared a state of emergency across the entire state.

The United States has been slammed by three major hurricanes this season so far: Hurricane Harvey in Houston, Hurricane Irma in Florida, and Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico. The Nate storm system "will still be fairly strong when it makes landfall, but it will be a quicker moving storm than the last few we have had," said CNN meteorologist Haley Brink. "It's supposed to be in and out pretty quickly." As much as 12 inches of rain are expected in certain areas.

Article continues below

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Explore More

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.