Tropical Storm Gordon hit US Gulf Coast; one killed, 20,000 residents without power

A powerful Tropical Storm Gordon that struck the US Gulf Coast late Tuesday, has left one person dead and over 20,000 residents without power supply in west Alabama-Mississippi border, sources said.

A child died, when a tree toppled on a mobile home near west Pensacola in Florida, the National Weather Service said.

According to reports, more power outages are expected overnight owing to uprooted trees due to strong winds and saturated ground.

The strong windy storm struck along the border of Alabama and Mississippi with winds blowing at up to 112 kmph, the sources said.

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The National Hurricane Centre, a division of the US National Weather Service, warned of possible tornadoes near the coasts of Alabama, Mississippi and Florida.

Meanwhile, a second Atlantic storm in Florence surge into a ‘Category 2 Hurricane’ over open seas, the sources said.

As per reports, the storm’s maximum sustained winds have increased up to 160 kmph. Heavy rainfall and inland flooding are expected in Hattiesburg and Jackson, Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana and Arkansas as the tropical storm-force moves north over the next two days, the sources said.

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In New Orleans, authority has issued a voluntary evacuation notice for people residing in the low-lying areas, it said.

The powerful storm which made landfall on the Gulf Coast, are likely to become the first hurricane to struck the American continent this year.

In 2015, authorities declared a state of emergency in both states and in New Orleans in Louisiana when a mega hurricane ‘Katrina’ struck the region.

(With inputs from agencies)