ATLANTIC HEATING UP: Florence is now a category 3 hurricane

According to forecasters, the first major hurricane of the 2018 Atlantic hurricane season was formed.

Florence is now a major category 3 hurricane with winds of 120 km / h. It travels in the Atlantic to Bermuda.

This comes as Gordon touched down at night as a tropical storm. It is weakening and is now moving to the northwest.

A hurricane warning was in effect for all of the coasts of Mississippi and Alabama.

Floods were also a risk. Up to 8 inches of rain could fall in parts of the Gulf States until Thursday night as the tropical climate moves inland to Arkansas.

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By the end of Tuesday morning, the storm was centered 145 miles east-southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi, with sustained winds of over 100 km / h, according to forecasters. He was moving relatively quickly, at about 15 mph.

The last hurricane to hit the United States was Nate in October, landing in Biloxi with winds of 75 mph.

The governors of Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana have all declared an emergency for Gordon, allowing them to quickly mobilize state resources and National Guard troops for help during and after the storm.

Gordon became a tropical storm on Monday near the Florida Keys, so locals and businesses rushed to prepare on Tuesday. But for some people, it was just another day of beach with a bit of breeze.

Morgan Kearley took the potted plants from her porch on Tuesday before heading to Bay St. Louis Beach with her husband, daughter and a niece and nephew. They remained near the edge of the water while a stiff breeze from the south rarely gave way.

"I think we had worse in the past," said Kearley's husband, Shane.

The mayors of the barrier islands in the storm path have warned that their communities could be cut off from the mainland. Gordon seemed to arrive at Dauphin Island, Alabama, closer to the low tide at around 7pm. Tuesday. Police planned to monitor the only highway leading to the mainland.

"When the waves are higher, the water starts to splash, sometimes it starts to push not only water but also debris, logs and things of that nature, making the crossing difficult." said Mayor Jeff Collier.

Gordon was ready to take a shot at New Orleans, where Mayor LaToya Cantrell said the city had "the pumps and power" needed to protect the residents.

Authorities issued a voluntary evacuation order for areas outside the city's dike protection system, including communities in the Venetian Islands, Lake St. Catherine and Irish Bayou.

L. J. Cazaux moved his boat on land near high ground before rain began in the Venetian Islands. After Hurricane Katrina in 2005, he raised his house and has food, water and two generators.

"You're just mixing in with your lifestyle when you live outside the dike system, you know you're going to flood the neighborhood for 15 years.

Hurricane Florence was some 3,400 kilometers from the United States, and another potential storm was likely to occur near the African coast and head east.

The National Hurricane Center said it was too early to know if any of these storms would impact the land.

"It's the peak of the hurricane season, it's now time to prepare your plans," said Hurricane director Ken Graham.