AlQa'dah 28, 1434, Oct 4, 2013, SPA -- Tropical Storm Karen was set to become the first named storm to hit the United States during what has been a quiet Atlantic hurricane season. Karen was forecast to reach the northern coast of the Gulf of Mexico over the weekend as a tropical storm or a weak hurricane. Residents from Louisiana to northwestern Florida prepared to be hit by the storm. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) in Miami said Friday that Karen was about 445 kilometers south-southwest of the mouth of the Mississippi River and was moving northwest at 17 kilometers per hour (kph). The storm's maximum sustained winds were near 95 kph, with the NHC saying little change in strength was expected Friday. But forecasters said some strengthening was possible Saturday, when the storm's center would be near the coast. Ship traffic at the mouth of the Mississippi River was stopped Friday morning ahead of the storm. The Army Corps of Engineers said it was closing a structure intended to keep storm surge out of the Industrial Canal, where levee breaches during Hurricane Katrina led to catastrophic flooding of New Orleans in 2005. Louisiana officials were taking precautions while noting that forecasts show the storm turning to the east. The storm track had it likely brushing the southeastern tip of the state before heading toward the Alabama-Florida coast. Offshore, at least two oil companies said they were evacuating non-essential personnel and securing rigs and platforms. In Washington, the White House said the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) was recalling some workers furloughed due to the government shutdown. Spokesman Jay Carney said President Barack Obama was being updated about Karen and had directed his team to ensure staffing and resources are available to respond to the storm.
