Katrina Now a Tropical Storm; High Winds, Flooding, Possible Tornadoes Still a Threat

The National Hurricane Center has downgraded Katrina to a tropical storm in the last few hours and issued warnings from Lake Ponchartrain and the mouth of the Pearl River, eastward to the Alabama/Florida border.

All other warnings have been discontinued and this warning is expected to be discontinued this evening. The storm will be moving over central and northern Mississippi tonight and into western Tennessee Tuesday.

Katrina’s center is now at latitude 31.9 north and longitude 89.6 west or about 30 miles northwest of Laurel, Miss. The storm is moving toward the north at 18 mph and a gradual turn is predicted to the north-northeast with an additional increase in forward speed predicted during the next 24 hours.

Katrina’s maximum sustained winds are near 75 mph, with higher gusts. It is a Category one hurricane. Continued weakening is forecast during the next 24 hours.

Storm rainfall totals of 4 to 8 inches, with isolated maximum amounts of 10 inches,.will accompany Katrina from the Gulf coast through the Tennessee and Ohio valleys. A few tornadoes are possible over portions of central, eastern and northern Alabama, as well as portions of western Georgia and the western Florida Panhandle this evening.

Editor’s note: Stay tuned to Insurance Journal for the latest updates on Hurricane Katrina. See related stories in National, Southeast and Texas/South Central news.