Tropical depression Gordon claims its first life, traverses Miss.
At least 30,000 residents are without power as Tropical Storm Gordon continues to move inland.
Gordon, which has been downgraded from a tropical storm to a depression, made landfall along the Gulf Coast late Tuesday evening, hitting Mississippi and Alabama with torrential rains and near-hurricane force winds of up to 70 mph.
The storm brought widespread flooding and damage to the area.
Gordon will continue to weaken as it moves inland, but authorities warn the most widespread threat to people, homes and businesses will be from flash flooding until the storm concludes.
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Assessing the damage
The first fatality was recorded Tuesday. A child was killed in Pensacola, Fla., as winds blew a tree onto a mobile home, the National Hurricane Center reported. No other injuries were reported.
At least 30,000 people in the Florida Panhandle and southern Alabama are without power. In Mississippi, Gov. Phil Bryant said more than 3,000 state residents are experiencing power outages. Local authorities warn power outages are likely to spread due to sustained, strong winds, downed trees and saturated ground.
Tornado warnings remain in effect. Forecasters at the National Weather Service warn a tornado-watch will last through Wednesday night in Mississippi and western Alabama.
Karen Clark & Company (KCC) estimates that the insured loss from Gordon will be close to $125 million. KCC notes this modeled estimate includes losses to residential, commercial, and industrial properties as well as automobiles.
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Gordon’s next move
As of Wednesday morning, Gordon was located roughly 20 miles northwest of Hattiesburg, Miss., sustaining winds of up to 40 mph.
Gordon is weakening, but continues to move inland up through the Midwest across the lower Mississippi Valley, bringing heavy rain and potential flash flooding to all affected areas. Experts at the National Hurricane Center warn heavy rains and flooding could reach as far as Iowa and Illinois by the end of the week.
The National Hurricane Center says Gordon is expected to produce 4 to 8 inches of rain over parts of the Florida Panhandle, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri, southern Iowa and Illinois through early Saturday. Some areas will experience isolated maximum amounts of 12 inches of rain, as well.
Moving on to the next threat, forecasters are now watching Hurricane Florence, which is currently positioned in the middle of the Atlantic but may come close to the East Coast next week. In the Pacific, Hurricane Olivia may also move to threaten Hawaii.
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