Hurricane watch in effect for parts of the U.S. Gulf Coast

The National Hurricane Center reported that tropical storm Karen formed in the southeastern part of the Gulf of Mexico, and now a hurricane watch has been put into effect for areas of Louisiana and Florida. “Karen is expected to be at or near hurricane strength on Friday,” said a hurricane center advisory. In New Orleans, officials are telling residents to “monitor weather conditions and stay alert.”

Karen formed between Cuba and the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico, and was producing winds of 65 mph or more. The hurricane center says that the storm is moving at 12mph up the Mexican coast. “Karen is expected to produce heavy rainfall over portions of western Cuba and the northeastern Yucatan Peninsula during the next day or so,” the center said.

Because of the sudden hurricane threat, FEMA was forced to bring back some of its furloughed workers. The Hurricane Liaison Team for the National Hurricane Center in Miami was also reinstated.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency stated: “At all times, FEMA maintains commodities, including millions of liters of water, millions of meals and hundreds of thousands of blankets, strategically located at distribution centers throughout the United States, including in the Gulf Coast region, that are available to state and local partners if needed and requested.”