North Carolina dam collapse after Florence

Local residents walk along the edge of a collapsed road that ran atop Patricia Lake's dam. The dam collapsed in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence, in Boiling Spring Lakes, North Carolina, USA on Thursday.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

World condoles with Philippines after Ompong devastation

MANILA -  The international community and global organizations have sent their sympathies to the Philippines following the devastation of Typhoon Ompong (international name: Mangkhut) over the weekend.

Ompong, the strongest typhoon to hit the Philippines this year, left at least 74 people dead and dozens other trapped after a landslide buried an emergency shelter in Itogon, Benguet.

AUSTRALIA

Australia said it was giving A$800,000 (P31 million) in humanitarian assistance for victims of Ompong. 

The aid will be distributed through the Philippine Red Cross and includes sleeping mats, blankets, and hygiene and shelter kits for up to 25,000 people in typhoon-ravaged areas.

CANADA

Canada on Tuesday extended its condolences to the Philippines, saying it is "ready to assist as appropriate to help areas affected."

“Our thoughts are with the many people affected by super typhoon Mangkhut (local name Ompong), which is causing significant devastation in the Philippines and is now hitting Hong Kong, Macau and mainland southern China," Global Affairs Canada said.

"Canada offers its sincerest condolences to the families and loved ones of those who have lost their lives, and we hope for a swift recovery for those injured," it added.

CHINA

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday told President Rodrigo Duterte that Beijing was mourning the fatalities due to Ompong's devastation.

In his message to the Philippine leader released by the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines, Xi said China shared the sadness of the Philippine people over their sufferings and is willing to help as much as possible.

Xi also expressed sympathy for those injured, bereaved families and residents in affected areas.

Ompong also ripped through southern China after roaring through northern Luzon. 

JAPAN

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe sent a message of condolences to Duterte following Ompong's onslaught, Japan's foreign ministry said.

"On behalf of the Japanese government and people, I would like to extend my heartfelt condolences to the victims and their families, and express my sympathy to those who were affected," Abe told Duterte in a message last Saturday, Sept. 15. 

The Japanese leader added that Tokyo was ready to provide the "maximum possible assistance including provision of emergency relief goods to the Philippines."

"Like the Philippines, we fully understand the hardship caused by severe damages of typhoons. Japan always stands with the Philippines in overcoming this time of difficulties," Abe said.

Japan was devastated earlier this month by the strongest typhoon to hit the mainland in a quarter century. 

 EUROPEAN UNION


The European Commission is sending an emergency aid package
worth €2 million (P125.06 million).

“Our contribution will help provide crucial support to those most in need and help them face the challenges during this time of need," said Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management Christos Stylianides in a statement.

The EU said the aid will be used for shelter, emergency relief items distribution, water and sanitation, food security and humanitarian protection for victims of the typhoon.

UNITED KINGDOM

The United Kingdom said it was coordinating with the Philippine government in assessing the damage left by Ompong and offered its assistance.

"We offer our assistance to the Philippine Government in response to Typhoon Ompong, and are actively assessing needs in cooperation with DFA (Department of Foreign Affairs) and OCD (Office of Civil Defense), and international partners," its embassy in Manila said in a tweet.

UK Foreign Minister Jeremy Hunt added that London was "ready to support the Philippines in its relief effort."

 UNITED NATIONS

The United Nations World Food Program said Sunday it would transport 20,000 bags of rice to be distributed as rations to victims of the typhoon.

"The rice is transported from the National Food Authority in Valenzuela to the DSWD National Resource Operations Center," it said in a statement.

The agency added that it would also help in assessing the food security situation in areas badly-hit by the typhoon, namely the Cagayan Valley and Cordillera Administrative Region.

UNITED STATES

US Ambassador to the Philippines Sung Kim said Washington was in close contact with Manila and remains ready to assist victims of the deadly typhoon.

"My thoughts are with the families who lost loved ones in the flooding and landslides from Ompong. We are in close contact with the Government of the Philippines, and remain ready to assist," Kim said in a tweet Sunday.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

In Florence's wake, uncertainty haunts migrant workers

SPIVEY'S CORNER, North Carolina - Francisco Javier Jaramillo and Victor Chavez should be picking sweet potatoes at a North Carolina farm and sending much-needed money to their families in Mexico.

Instead, Hurricane Florence has forced the migrant workers to evacuate their farm and seek refuge at a school-turned-shelter near the tiny hamlet of Spivey’s Corner, where they sleep in school hallways, wait and worry.

"If the sweet potato fields are flooded, we cannot work. If we cannot work, we will be sent home. We will have nothing," said Chavez, 39.

When Florence tore through the Carolinas last week, bringing wave after wave of wind and rain, the storm not only disrupted a harvest but also jeopardized its harvesters.

Known for its fields upon fields of sweet potatoes, tobacco and peanuts, North Carolina's agricultural engine is powered by more than 83,000 migrant workers.

Many come from Mexico and other Latin American countries to toil on restrictive contracts working fields that double as floodplains when the weather sours.

The contracts guarantee a certain number of working hours but that can be nullified if a farmer declares an act of god if, for example, fields are so flooded or hurricane-battered their crop cannot be salvaged. That would mean these workers get sent home without the hours, or money, promised.

A spokeswoman for North Carolina’s agriculture department said there are no estimates yet of the extent of crop damage.

At peak harvest in 2016 there were more than 83,000 migrant workers on North Carolina farms, according to the Employment Security Commission.

Workers on an H2A visa for temporary agricultural workers are among the most vulnerable people hit by a hurricane, according to advocates, lawyers and outreach workers who talked with Reuters. They have the least means to cushion the blow and the most to lose.

“H2A workers are very isolated, very vulnerable," said Lariza Garzon, with the Episcopal Farmworkers Ministry. "They may not know their rights.”

Lee Wicker, deputy director of the 700-farmer North Carolina Growers Association, said maybe decades ago that might have been true but now resources are in place to ensure workers have the supports they need.

About 20,000 of the workers come to North Carolina every year on H2A visas, which tether them to an employer on whom they rely for housing, transportation and, in many cases, information about the outside world, said Caitlin Ryland, a supervising attorney with Legal Aid of North Carolina's farmworker unit.

They are frequently housed in areas close to farmland that can be prone to flooding, Ryland said.

Wicker said that sometimes happens, but said storms like Florence have outsize effects.

For workers like Jaramillo and Chavez, in a precarious labor position and with limited access to outside information, leaving camps for a few days to wait out a storm can be daunting.

Misinformation is rampant: many believe fleeing a storm can get them deported and barred from returning.

If their employer reports them as having abandoned their job, under the terms of the H2A visa it can start the clock ticking on having to leave the United States, Ryland said.

Fleeing for their lives in the face of a storm does not count as abandoning a job, she said, but many workers may not know that.

A spokeswoman for North Carolina’s Department of Labor wrote in an email that "the Agricultural Safety and Health Bureau has not received any complaints from migrant workers concerning unsafe housing conditions due to the storm.”

Five migrant workers Reuters spoke with at a supermarket outside Clinton, in Sampson County about 35 miles (56 km) east of Fayetteville, had elected to stay in their work camps despite the threats presented by the weather.

Explaining why he stayed, Miguel Hernandez motioned to the cement blocks used to build his barracks in an area under a flash-flood warning - surely they could withstand a storm, he said.

But Luis Alberto, a 25-year-old migrant worker from the Mexican state of Nayarit, was scared for his life when he and four friends decided to go to a shelter several miles away.

Luis Alberto, who asked not to use his last name, regularly sends money home to support his family. What worries him now is what happens next – if the crop is destroyed, if they cannot get the contracted hours of work they need.

"We want to know what is going to happen to us," he said. "Can we keep working? Will we be sent back to Mexico?" 

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Hurricane Florence kills 17

A boat sits in a backyard after the passing of Hurricane Florence in New Bern, North Carolina, on Sunday. At least 17 people were reported killed and 900 rescued after Hurricane Florence dumped at least 40 inches of rain in North Carolina displacing thousands of residents.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Storm Florence weakens but epic rains still expected on US east coast

WILSON, North Carolina - Tropical Storm Florence was likely to weaken on Sunday as it swept through the Carolinas but dozens of communities are devastated and "epic" amounts of rain could still fall, officials said.

The storm is expected to become a Tropical Depression as it trudged inland early Sunday, knocking out power and causing at least eight deaths as flood waters kept rising.

North Carolina officials have reported at least seven storm-related fatalities with unconfirmed reports of a further three deaths. South Carolina authorities reported one death.

"This is still a catastrophic, life threatening storm," said Zack Taylor, a meteorologist with the National Weather Center's Weather Prediction Center in College Park, Maryland.

Winds have dropped to about 40 miles per hour (65 kph) since it roared ashore along the U.S. mid-Atlantic coast on Friday as a hurricane and it is crawling west over two states at 6 mph (9 kph), the National Hurricane Center in Miami said early Sunday.

Taylor said the storm already dumped 30 inches of rain on some parts of the NC.

"This storm is still deadly and dangerous and it's expected to turn northward later today into Virginia and the mid-Atlantic," he said.

North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper said: "This system is unloading epic amounts of rainfall, in some places measured in feet and not inches." Rivers will continue to rise days after the rain has stopped, he said.

Around 50 stranded people were airlifted by helicopter in North Carolina, said Petty Officer Michael Himes of the US Coast Guard. More than 26,000 hunkered down in shelters.

Roads were closed and authorities warned of landslides, tornadoes and flash floods, with dams and bridges in peril as rivers and creeks swelled. As of Saturday, about 676,000 homes and businesses were without power in North Carolina, along with 119,000 in South Carolina.

The White House said President Donald Trump approved making federal funding available in some affected counties.

Trump, who plans to visit the region next week and he tweeted his "deepest sympathies and warmth" to the families and friends of those who had lost their lives.

WORST YET TO COME

Florence was drifting westward over South Carolina, reaching about 25 miles southeast of Columbia SC at 2 a.m. Sunday, the NHC said.

Up to 40 inches (102 cm) of rain are expected along coastal areas of the Carolinas and up to 10 inches in southwestern Virginia, it said.

In Fayetteville, a North Carolina city of about 210,000 people about 90 miles inland, authorities told thousands of residents near the Cape Fear River and Little River to get out of their homes by Sunday afternoon because of the flood risk.

"If you are refusing to leave during this mandatory evacuation, you need to do things like notify your legal next of kin because the loss of life is very, very possible," Mayor Mitch Colvin said at a news conference.

"The worst is yet to come," he added.

The storm made landfall on Friday near Wilmington, a city of about 120,000 squeezed between North Carolina's Atlantic coastline and the Cape Fear River.

Near the Sutton Power Plant in Wilmington, coal ash leaked from a Duke Energy landfill. The site lost enough material to fill around two-thirds of an Olympic-sized pool, the company said in a statement, adding that it did not believe the incident posed a risk to health or the environment.

Officials had warned before the storm rains could taint waterways with murky coal ash and toxic hog waste.

Florence has already set a North Carolina record for rainfall totals, exceeding that of Hurricane Floyd, which struck in 1999 and caused 56 deaths. Floyd produced 24 inches of rain in some parts of the state, while Florence has already dumped about 30 inches in areas around Swansboro.

In New Bern, about 90 miles northeast of Wilmington at the confluence of two rivers, Florence overwhelmed the town of 30,000 and left the downtown area under water. Some area residents described a harrowing retreat as the storm hit.

"It was pitch black and I was just scared out of my mind," said Tracy Singleton, who with her family later drove through torrential rain and high winds from her home near New Bern.

South Carolina authorities said law enforcement officers were guarding against looting in evacuated areas, while Wilmington set a curfew on Saturday evening in response to looting in one area.

As the United States dealt with Florence, a super typhoon swirled towards Hong Kong and the Chinese coast on Sunday, gaining in strength over the South China Sea after hurtling through the Philippines, where it wreaked havoc that killed at least 25.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Flood waters rise as Florence pummels Carolinas; at least 8 dead

WILSON, North Carolina -- Tropical Storm Florence dumped "epic" amounts of rain on North and South Carolina as it trudged inland on Saturday, knocking out power and causing at least 8 deaths as flood waters that have devastated many communities kept rising.

Florence's intensity has diminished since it roared ashore along the US mid-Atlantic coast on Friday as a hurricane. But its slow march over the two states, crawling west at only 2 miles per hour (3 km per hour), is expected to leave large parts of the region deluged in the coming days.

"This system is unloading epic amounts of rainfall, in some places measured in feet and not inches," North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper told a news briefing. His state has already endured record rainfall, with much more forecast to come. Rivers will continue to rise days after the rain has stopped, he said.

"This is a hurricane event followed by a flood event," said South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster.

With flood waters advancing rapidly in many communities, stranded people were being rescued by boat and by helicopter, while tens of thousands of others hunkered down in shelters. Numerous roads were closed, and authorities warned of the risk of landslides, tornadoes and flash floods, with dams and bridges in peril as rivers and creeks swelled.

Utility crews worked to restore electricity. As of Saturday afternoon, about 752,000 homes and businesses were without power in North Carolina, along with 119,000 in South Carolina.

Helicopter crews have carried out dozens of missions in coastal North Carolina and helped in the rescue of 50 people and eight pets, said Petty Officer Michael Himes of the U.S. Coast Guard.

RISING RIVERS

At 5 p.m. EDT (2100 GMT), the National Hurricane Center said Florence had maximum sustained winds near 45 miles per hour. It said it was located about 60 miles west of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and forecasters predicted a slow westward march.

The center said the storm would dump as much as 40 inches (102 cm) of rain along coastal areas of the Carolinas, as well as up to 10 inches in southwestern Virginia.

In Fayetteville, a North Carolina city of about 210,000 people about 90 miles inland, authorities told thousands of residents near the Cape Fear River and Little River to get out of their homes because of the flood risk.

"If you are refusing to leave during this mandatory evacuation, you need to do things like notify your legal next of kin because the loss of life is very, very possible," Mayor Mitch Colvin said at a news conference.

Officials said there had been at least 7 storm-related fatalities in the state.

Authorities in South Carolina reported one death, saying a woman was killed when her vehicle struck a fallen tree.

The storm made landfall on Friday near Wilmington, a city of about 120,000 squeezed between North Carolina's Atlantic coastline and the Cape Fear River. On Saturday, its streets were strewn with downed tree limbs and carpeted with leaves and other debris. Electricity remained out for much of the city, known for its historic mansions, with power lines lying across roads like wet strands of spaghetti.

"The fact that there haven't been more deaths and damage is amazing and a blessing," said Rebekah Roth, walking around Wilmington's Winoca Terrace neighborhood.

Florence has already set a North Carolina record for rainfall totals, exceeding that of Hurricane Floyd, which struck in 1999 and caused 56 deaths. Floyd produced 24 inches of rain in some parts of the state, while Florence has already dumped about 30 inches in areas around Swansboro.

In New Bern, about 90 miles northeast of Wilmington at the confluence of two rivers, Florence overwhelmed the town of 30,000 and left the downtown area under water. Some area residents described a harrowing retreat as the storm hit.

"It was pitch black and I was just scared out of my mind," said Tracy Singleton, who with her family later drove through torrential rain and high winds from her home near New Bern.

More than 20,000 people were in 157 shelters in North Carolina, with nearly 6,000 in South Carolina shelters, officials said.

South Carolina authorities said law enforcement officers were guarding against looting in evacuated areas, while Wilmington set a curfew on Saturday evening in response to looting in one area.

Schoolteacher Leslie Ochoa said she and her family loaded up 10 adults, 5 children, 14 goats, 10 dogs, two cats and one guinea pig and evacuated from Jacksonville, North Carolina to Columbia, South Carolina last Tuesday. As her son fed the goats in a hotel parking lot, she said she might not be able to return home until the middle of next week.

"Our friend behind our old house, they have gators swimming in the water. So yeah, not safe," Ochoa said.

The White House said President Donald Trump approved making federal funding available in some affected counties. Trump plans a visit to the region next week.

As the United States dealt with Florence, a strong typhoon tore across the northern tip of the Philippines, killing at least 3 people, wrecking homes and triggering landslides before heading toward Hong Kong and southern China.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Mother and baby fall victim to Florence's wrath

WILMINGTON, United States – Taking cover as Hurricane Florence unleashed fury on the US port city of Wilmington, Adam Sparks heard "a loud pop."

He went to the door to see what had happened, but "it was still pitch black at that time," he said. Power had gone out just before the powerful storm's eye touched down in his state of North Carolina early Friday morning.

It was only an hour later, when fire trucks had taken over the street, that he realized the worst had happened: a mother and her infant had died after a tree struck the back of their house.

"Most of the neighborhood had evacuated," Sparks said. "Only myself, themselves and a few others decided to stay."

Their small home with red brick walls appeared intact from the street -- but the back offered a more grim view.

A section of wall had completely collapsed, with a few belongings in view bearing witness to the violence of the crash.

Later in the day, Wilmington Police confirmed the mother and child were the first fatalities resulting from Florence's onslaught, adding that the father was taken to the hospital with injuries.

"The tree line they have behind their home is very tall, very old trees," their neighbor said. "It's always a gamble with trees like that."

"Who could be prepared for this? It's the worst-case scenario."

- 'Heartbreaking' –

A yellow police cordon now encircles 24 Mercer Avenue, in a residential area of Wilmington.

According to firefighters, the area had not been in the zone under orders to evacuate as Florence began assaulting the US east coast with torrential rains and heavy winds.

Under the pummeling rain rescue workers spared no effort in attempting to save the victims trapped under the felled tree's branches.

Later in the day the firefighters gathered in a circle for a moment of meditation, knees on the ground, heads bowed, faces long.

"They are out here, they are under a lot of stress. They don't even know the conditions of their own homes or their own families," said fire chief Buddy Marinette. "It's a difficult situation for all of us."

"Right now, we are giving the guys a little bit of a break, they need it."

Since Florence slammed into the Carolinas, hundreds of people have needed rescuing after being trapped in their homes by monstrous storm surges and flooding, with four deaths officially confirmed, including the mother and child.

The storm's winds have weakened slightly and authorities now consider Florence a tropical storm -- but the danger remains. Forecasters warn of potentially "catastrophic freshwater flooding."

Franco Hendrickson, another neighbor of the victims, was at the scene when relatives arrived later in the morning.

"Seeing the devastation was just heartbreaking," he said. "Me and my girlfriend we were just really, really sad -- sad morning."

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Hurricane Florence makes landfall, set to deluge Carolinas

WILMINGTON, N.C.—Hurricane Florence crashed into the Carolinas as a giant, slow-moving storm on Friday, threatening catastrophic flooding while leaving scores in need of rescue from rising waters and hundreds of thousands without power.

The center of the hurricane's eye came ashore at about 0715 EDT near Wrightsville Beach close to Wilmington, North Carolina, with sustained winds of 150 kph, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said.

North Carolina's governor, Roy Cooper, said Florence was set to cover almost all of the state in several feet of water.

National Weather Service forecaster Brandon Locklear predicted Florence would drop up to eight months of rain in two or three days.

There were no immediate reports of storm-related deaths or serious injuries, but authorities said more than 100 people were rescued further north in New Bern, where the downtown area of the city of 30,000 people was under water.

"WE ARE COMING TO GET YOU," New Bern city officials said on Twitter. "You may need to move up to the second story, or to your attic, but WE ARE COMING TO GET YOU."

More than 60 people, including many children and pets, were evacuated from a hotel in Jacksonville, North Carolina, after strong winds caused parts of the roof to collapse, local officials said. No one was hurt.

More than 370,000 people were without power in North Carolina early on Friday, state officials said. Utility companies said millions were expected to lose power and that restoring it could take weeks.


THOUSANDS IN SHELTERS

Forecasters said the Category 1 storm's extreme size meant it could batter the U.S. East Coast with hurricane-force winds for nearly a full day.

About 10 million people could be affected by the storm and more than 1 million were ordered to evacuate the coasts of the Carolinas and Virginia.

Almost 20,000 people had taken refuge in 157 emergency shelters, Cooper said.

There was a threat from tornadoes as Florence made landfall, the NHC said. South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster said the heavy rain could trigger landslides in the west of his state.

Storm surges could push as far as 2 miles (3 km) inland, NHC said, while heavy rains were forecast to extend into the Appalachian Mountains, affecting parts of Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky and West Virginia.

Emergency declarations were in force in Georgia, South and North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia.

Still, some residents ignored calls to evacuate.

"I had a lot of fear initially but I'm glad to be inside and safe," said Zelda Allen, a 74-year-old retired tax accountant from Hampstead, North Carolina, who was riding out the storm at Wilmington's Hotel Ballast with her husband.

"I'm worried about what I might find when I go home, though," she said.

(Reporting by Ernest Scheyder; Additional reporting by Gene Cherry in Raleigh and Brendan O'Brien in Milwaukee; Editing by John Stonestreet and Bernadette Baum)

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Powerful typhoon kills 9, shutters airport in Japan

TOKYO, Japan - The toll in the most powerful typhoon to hit Japan in a quarter century rose Wednesday to nine, with thousands stranded at a major airport because of storm damage.

Typhoon Jebi slammed into the west coast of Japan around noon on Tuesday, bringing maximum winds of 216 kilometers (135 miles) an hour and heavy rain.

The powerful gusts ripped sheeting from rooftops, overturned trucks on bridges and swept a 2,591-ton tanker anchored in Osaka Bay into a bridge leading to Kansai International Airport.

The damage to the bridge left the airport, which is on an artificial island, cut off from the mainland, and around 3,000 people were stranded at the facility overnight, a transport ministry official told AFP.

Parts of the airport's runways and basement were also flooded after high waves whipped up by the storm washed into the facility.

On Wednesday morning, a boat service was ferrying people from the airport to nearby Kobe, the transport ministry official said.

But there was no indication yet when the airport, which runs over 400 flights a day, might reopen. 

"We had a blackout so there was no air conditioning. It was hot," a woman transported Wednesday by boat to Kobe Airport told public broadcaster NHK.

"I'd never expected this extent of damage from a typhoon."

NHK said the toll in the storm stood at nine, with Jiji news agency saying five of the dead were in Osaka prefecture.

Hundreds more were injured, mostly by flying debris, local media said.

Evacuation advisories were issued for more than 1.22 million people as of Wednesday morning, while another 29,600 people under stronger, though still not mandatory, evacuation orders, the Fire and Disaster Management Agency said.

And 16,000 people spent the night in shelters across 20 prefectures, Jiji reported.

- Winds bring down roof –

The fast moving typhoon left land on Tuesday night, moving offshore from the central Ishikawa region, but it left a trail of destruction in its wake.

In Kyoto, it brought down part of the ceiling of the tourist magnet's main station, and in Osaka, the high winds peeled scaffolding from a multi-story building.

Footage on NHK showed a 100-metre (328-foot) tall ferris wheel in Osaka spinning furiously in the strong wind despite being switched off.

"I've never seen such a thing," a 19-year-old man at the scene told NHK.

Up to some 2.3 million households suffered blackouts and businesses, factories and schools in the affected area shut down while the storm crossed the country.

Nearly 800 flights were cancelled, including several international flights departing and arriving at Nagoya and Osaka, along with ferries, local train services and some bullet train lines.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe had urged people to evacuate early and ordered his government to take all necessary measures to protect residents.

"I urge the Japanese people to take action to protect your lives, including preparing and evacuating early," he said.

Japan is regularly struck by major storms during the summer and autumn.

The country has been sweating through a record deadly heatwave that followed devastating rain in parts of central and western Japan that killed over 200 people.

The sustained rain caused widespread flooding and landslides in July, devastating entire villages and forcing thousands from their homes.

The flooding and landslides proved so deadly in part because many people did not heed evacuation warnings, which are not mandatory.

Since the disaster, authorities have urged people to take the warnings more seriously and prepare to leave home immediately they are issued.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Storm Gordon starts kicking up waves on US Gulf Coast

Waves began to batter parts of the U.S. Gulf Coast on Tuesday as the region felt the first effects of Tropical Storm Gordon, which is expected to become a hurricane before it comes ashore with high winds and heavy rain, forecasters said.

The storm also caused a jump in global oil prices after the evacuation of two oil platforms in the Gulf of Mexico.

Gordon was due to come ashore late on Tuesday near the border between Louisiana and Mississippi, and drop as much as 12 inches of rain in areas still recovering from last year's hurricanes, the National Hurricane Center said.

Currently carrying winds of around 65 miles per hour (105 km per hour), the storm was expected to pack hurricane-force winds - of at least 74 mph (119 kph) - when it reached the Gulf Coast, the center said.

Beaches around Mobile, Alabama, were seeing storm-driven waves on Tuesday morning, said Stephen Miller, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service.

"We're expecting an increase in winds," Miller said in a phone interview. "We could see flooding."

Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards declared a state of emergency, as did New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell.

Storm surge - sea levels driven higher - of as much as 5 feet (1.5 m) could hit a stretch of coast from Shell Beach, Louisiana, to Dauphin Island, Alabama, forecasters said. The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency told South Mississippi residents to be prepared to evacuate.

As of Tuesday morning, Gordon was located about 190 miles (305 km) east-southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi River, and was heading west-northwest, the Miami-based hurricane center said.

U.S. oil producer Anadarko Petroleum Corp evacuated workers and shut production at two offshore oil platforms on Monday, and other companies with production and refining operations along the Gulf Coast said they were securing facilities.

The Gulf of Mexico is home to 17 percent of U.S. crude oil and 5 percent of natural gas output daily, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

The U.S. Coast Guard said the ports of New Orleans as well as Gulfport and Pascagoula, Mississippi, may have to close within 48 hours.

Last year, powerful hurricanes hit Texas, Florida and Puerto Rico, causing thousands of deaths, hundreds of billions of dollars worth of damage and massive power outages.

Gordon, which was not forecast to be a major hurricane, was expected to weaken rapidly after moving ashore, the hurricane center said.

The Inn at Ocean Springs and The Roost Hotel in Ocean Springs, Mississippi, had guests planning to ride out the storm, said Kristin Smith, the general manager of both hotels.

"A lot of guests are real comfortable sticking it out in our rooms," Smith said in a phone interview. "Any of our guests who feel like they want to go home we encourage them to follow their instincts."

(Reporting by Gina Cherelus in New York, Brendan O'Brien in Milwaukee and Scott Malone in Boston Editing by Louise Heavens, Andrew Heavens and Frances Kerry)

source: news.abs-cbn.com

New quake, at magnitude 6.2, strikes Mexico again: US agency

An earthquake of magnitude 6.2 struck southeast of the town of Matías Romero in Oaxaca, Mexico, on Saturday, the US Geological Survey said.

Slight quake tremors were felt, and seismic alarms sounded on Saturday in Mexico City, which earlier this week was hit by the country's most deadly earthquake in decades.


That 7.1-magnitude earthquake destroyed more than 50 buildings in the sprawling Mexican capital on Tuesday, leaving thousands homeless and close to 300 people dead nationwide.

(Reporting by Franklin Paul in New York and Frank Jack Daniel in Mexico City; Editing by Lisa Von Ahn)

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Nadal encourages disaster victims fightback after US Open win

NEW YORK -- World number one Rafael Nadal encouraged the victims of recent natural disasters not to give up and to fight back after devastation to their lives and homes after his US Open final triumph Sunday.

The 31-year-old Spaniard won his 16th Grand Slam title and third US Open crown by defeating South African 28th seed Kevin Anderson 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 to take a top prize of $3.7 million (3.07 million euros).

His victory came as Hurricane Irma was causing extensive damage across Florida, the home base for Anderson and many other top tennis stars, after the killer storm had devastated several Caribbean nations.

And in the wake of an earthquake in Mexico and flooding from another hurricane last week along the Texas coast that played out during the Flushing Meadows fortnight, Nadal used his moment in the spotlight to say his heart was with those in need.

"I just want to say sorry for all the victims and keep going for everybody," Nadal said.

"It's very sad moments for our world but keep fighting to come back."

Nadal, who won his 10th French Open crown in June, reflected on a year that followed two down seasons nagged by injuries that had some doubting he would ever regain Slam championship form.

"It's just unbelievable what happened this year," he said. "After a couple of years with a lot of trouble, I've been playing a very high level of tennis.

"To close the Grand Slam year winning at New York -- that's one of the events that's really high energy, the crowd -- makes me so so happy.

"Thanks to life for giving me that opportunity... this US Open I feel a little bit like home."

Nadal also took a moment to praise Anderson as "a great example for a lot of kids and the rest of the tour. You came back from a lot of injuries better than ever."

Anderson, 31, was in his first Slam final and while unable to even muster a break point against Nadal, he praised the Spaniard as one of his idols, saying, "I know we're the same age but I feel like I've been watching you my whole life.

"You're one of the toughest competitors in the game and one of the greatest ambassadors of our sport."

Anderson said he would work hard to try and reach more Slam finals.

"This isn't the result I always wanted but I'll keep fighting and I'll be back," said Anderson. "I'm going to keep working hard. Hopefully I'll keep giving myself opportunities."

source: news.abs-cbn.com