Tropical Storm Lee hit the coast of southern Louisiana on Sunday as New Orleans prepared for one of the biggest tests of its flood defenses since Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The Miami-based National Hurricane Center said the storm's center was about 80 miles (129 km) west of Morgan City, Louisiana, with maximum sustained winds of 45 mph (72 kph). Winds were expected gradually to weaken in the next couple of days, the center was quoted as saying by Reuters.
