Karen was about 340 miles south of the mouth of the Mississippi River and moving north-northwest at 10 miles per hour, the National Hurricane Center in Miami said in its 10 p.m. CDT Thursday advisory.
Maximum sustained winds were 65 mph with higher gusts.
A hurricane watch was in effect for Grand Isle, La., to west of Destin, Fla., and a tropical storm warning was in effect from Grand Isle to the mouth of the Pearl River.
A tropical storm watch was in effect for metropolitan New Orleans, Lake Maurepas and Lake Pontchartrain.
Karen was expected to turn toward the north with a decrease in forward speed Friday with a gradual turn toward the northeast Saturday. The center was expected to be near the coast Saturday.
A storm surge combined with tides will cause normally dry areas near the coast to flood. If the peak surge occurs during high tide, the water level could reach 2 to 4 feet above ground at the mouth of the Mississippi River, the hurricane center said.
Rainfall of 4 to 8 inches was expected over parts of the central and eastern Gulf coast through Sunday night, with localized amounts of up to 12 inches possible. UPI
ISH/ISH
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