Tropical Storm Heads For U.S. Gulf

Scattered rain fell in southeastern Louisiana on Tuesday and officials took precautions as Tropical Storm Cindy headed toward land, while another storm system was forming in the Caribbean and could hit Florida later in the week.

Cindy, which had crossed Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula as a tropical depression, grew to tropical storm strength early Tuesday and had sustained wind of 50 mph by 11 a.m. EDT. The minimum for a tropical storm is 39 mph.

It could strengthen further before its center reaches the coast late Tuesday or early Wednesday, but it is not expected to become a hurricane, said the National Hurricane Center in Miami.

The Center moved the area of greatest impact a little to the east in its 11 a.m. advisory, with a tropical storm warning from Intracoastal City, La., eastward to Destin, Fla, and a tropical storm watch
east of Destin to Indian Pass, Fla.

The main danger would be if the storm stalls along the coast, dumping heavy rain over a small area for an extended period, said sheriff's Capt. Mike Sanders in coastal St. Bernard Parish.

"As long as the storm keeps moving, it really helps," Sanders said. Cindy was moving at a relatively rapid 14 mph.

Water levels in canals had been lowered about a foot in anticipation of Cindy's arrival, said Windell Curole, general manager of the South Lafourche Levee District. The district covers one of the Louisiana coast's most vulnerable areas and includes Louisiana Highway 1, which leads to the Port Fourchon offshore petroleum terminal.

"If it stays a tropical storm, the worst that will happen is that we'll get a little water over the road," he said.

At 11 a.m. EDT, Cindy was centered about 165 miles south-southwest of the mouth of the Mississippi River and moving north at about 14 mph. It was expected to turn north-northeast during the day Tuesday. Tropical storm-force wind and rain extended up to 85 miles to the north and east from its center.

A second tropical depression became Tropical Storm Dennis, forecasters said, and the Dominican Republic issued a tropical storm watch for its south coast. Dennis was centered about 355 miles south of San Juan, Puerto Rico, and moving west at about 18 mph. It had top sustained wind of 40 mph.

Elsewhere, Tropical Storm Dora in the Pacific was moving toward the southwestern coast of Mexico, where storm warnings were posted. It had maximum sustained wind of 40 mph and meteorologists did not expect it to strengthen significantly.