(RNN) - After becoming a tropical storm on Labor Day, Gordon is heading swiftly toward an expected landfall along the Gulf Coast late Tuesday night or early Wednesday morning.
As of the 11 a.m. advisory from the National Hurricane Center in Miami, the tropical storm was located about 145 miles east-southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi River, moving to the northwest at 15 mph. With maximum-sustained winds of 65 mph, Gordon is a strong tropical storm and is expected to be a category 1 hurricane at landfall.
In the areas under watches and warnings, storm conditions will begin Tuesday, including heavy rain of up to 8", with isolated amounts of 12", which will cause flash flooding in some areas.
Gordon will also bring strong wind - with hurricane-force winds in the hurricane warning area - as well as sporadic tornadoes to the Gulf Coast.
A hurricane warning has been issued from the mouth of the Pearl River to the Alabama-Florida border.
A tropical storm warning is in effect from west of the mouth of the Pearl River to Grand Isle, LA, including Lake Pontchartrain and Lake Maurepas, and from the Alabama-Florida Border to the Okaloosa-Walton County line in Florida.
Tropical Storm #Gordon Advisory 9: Now available on the NHC website. https://t.co/VqHn0uj6EM
— National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) September 4, 2018
In addition to strong wind and heavy rainfall, people along a large swath of coast are bracing for the effects of life-threatening storm surge.
A storm surge warning was issued from Shell Beach, LA, to Dauphin Island, AL, where forecasters say a surge of 3' to 5' is expected.
A storm surge watch is in effect from west of Shell Beach to the mouth of the Mississippi River and from Dauphin Island, AL, east to Navarre, FL. Here, Gordon will cause a storm surge of 2' to 4'.
Hurricane #Florence Advisory 21: Florence Becomes the Third Hurricane of the Atlantic Season. https://t.co/VqHn0uj6EM
— National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) September 4, 2018
Elsewhere in the Atlantic basin, Tropical Storm Florence continues moving to the west-northwest just below hurricane strength.
Since it is more than 1,000 miles away from the Lesser Antilles, it is too soon to know whether it will impact the U.S. coast, but it's expected trajectory will take it somewhere off the coast of the Atlantic well east of the U.S. by Friday.
Elsewhere in the Atlantic basin, Hurricane Florence became the third hurricane of the Atlantic hurricane season.
Since it is more than 1,000 miles away from the Lesser Antilles, it is too soon to know whether it will impact the U.S. coast, but its expected trajectory will take it somewhere off the coast of the Atlantic well east of the U.S. by Friday.
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