Parts of the U.S. Gulf Coast are under a hurricane watch as forecasters predict Tropical Storm Laura could build into a powerful hurricane by late Tuesday.
Some models show Laura becoming a dangerous Category 3 storm after moving across western Cuba on Monday night and picking up strength in the warm Gulf waters.
As of late Monday, tropical storm warnings were out for parts of Cuba and the Florida Keys.
Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards said the state is getting ready.
“We’re only going to dodge the bullet so many times. And the current forecast for Laura has it focused intently on Louisiana,” he told reporters.
Authorities have warned shrimp and fishing boats to tie up in harbors. Red flags are already warning swimmers to stay out of the rough surf.
Louisiana and Mississippi have declared states of emergency.
At least 11 deaths were reported in Haiti and the Dominican Republic after Laura tore across the island of Hispaniola.
Meanwhile, what was Hurricane Marco is now a tropical storm and is expected to weaken into a tropical depression as it drifts further inland through Louisiana.
But that does not mean the danger from Marco is over. The Gulf Cost can expect heavy rain, strong winds and floods Monday night. Tornadoes are also possible as far north as Georgia.
