Nate is the newest addition to the list of Atlantic hurricane storms which have hit the United States in 2017. The storm which has originated from the Tropical Depression, developed in the southwest Caribbean sea on 4th October.
The storm has claimed about 22 lives in Central America as it dumped rain across the region on a path that would carry it towards a potential landfall on the U.S. Gulf Coast as a hurricane over the weekend. (abcnews.go.com)
In the past 24 hours, Nate's projected path has changed, with the track shifting west and farther away from Florida. (foxnews.com)
Initially, the official forecast track from the National Hurricane Center on 4th October had the storm's core headed straight for Florida's northern Gulf Coast near Panama City Beach. That changed overnight. The storm's centre as of 5th October was headed towards the general vicinity of the mouth of the Mississippi River at the southeastern tip of Louisiana. (foxnews.com)
The U.S. National Hurricane Center has warned that the storm could cause dangerous flooding by dumping as much as 15 to 20 inches of rain as it moved over Honduras, with higher accumulations in a few places. (abcnews.go.com)
The storm has caused heavy rains, landslides and floods which are blocking roads, destroying bridges and damaging houses. A state of emergency has been declared in the Central American nations, where more than 20 people are missing. (bbc.com)
Amid the set of problems the busy hurricane season has brought, National Weather Service has also been hampered by a shortage of meteorologists. (abcnews.go.com)
Louisiana
In Louisiana, Governor John Bel Edwards has declared a state of emergency and ordered some people to evacuate coastal areas and barrier islands. Evacuations have begun at some of the offshore oil platforms in the Gulf. About 1,300 National Guard troops have been mobilized, with 15 headed to New Orleans to monitor the fragile pumping system there. (abcnews.go.com)
Residents from Louisiana to Florida are being warned to monitor the system as it approaches this weekend. The area is still feeling the effects of hurricanes Harvey and Irma. (abcnews.go.com)
Nicaragua
In Nicaragua, the two weeks of near-constant rain have left the ground saturated and rivers swollen, enough to cause life threatening flash floods and mudslides. Authorities have placed the whole country on alert and warned of flooding and landslides. (abcnews.go.com)
About 15 people have died in the country due to the storm.
Huge infrastructural damages have also been incurred by the country and it's people.
Costa Rica
In Costa Rica, nearly 400,000 people are without running water and thousands are sleeping in shelters. (bbc.com)
According to the Judicial Investigation Organism of Costa Rica, around 7 people have died and 15 are missing and about 5,000 have been driven to emergency shelters due to the floods.
Officials ordered the evacuation of part of coastal St. Bernard Parish east of New Orleans ahead of the storm. Earlier Thursday, a voluntary evacuation was called in the barrier island town of Grand Isle south of New Orleans. (abcnews.go.com)
All train journeys have been suspended and dozens of flights cancelled. More than a dozen national parks popular with tourists have been closed as a precaution. (bbc.com)
Florida and Alabama
Florida Governor Rick Scott declared a state of emergency in 29 counties on 5th October to prepare for the tropical storm's approach. (abcnews.go.com)
Residents from Florida to Texas have also been told to prepare for the storm, which, if it does strike, will be the third major storm to hit the southern coast this year. Both Texas and Florida are still recovering from the damage inflicted by Hurricane Harvey, which hit the former in August and Hurricane Irma, which made landfall in Florida in September. (bbc.com)
Alabama also issued a statewide state of emergency on the same day in preparation for Nate. (abcnews.go.com)
Nationwide, all government schools have also been closed.
So far, the Atlantic has seen five major hurricanes during the 2017 season; two short of the record set in 2005, when seven major hurricanes hit. (abcnews.go.com)
According to NOAA meteorologist, the rest of the 2017 hurricane season will be 'active' with more storms to come.