Page 6 - ARUBA TODAY

A6 U.S. NEWS
Thursday 6 sepTember 2018

Gordon, never a hurricane, killed child in mobile home

By JAY REEVES and REBEC-
CA SANTANA
Associated Press
DAUPHIN ISLAND, Ala. (AP)
— Tropical Storm Gordon
never became a hurri-
cane but it was deadly all
the same, killing a child by
blowing a tree onto a mo-
bile home as it made land-
fall. The storm weakened
into a depression Wednes-
day but remained danger-
ous, dumping rain, spawn-
ing possible tornadoes and
kicking up heavy surf in its
wake.
Gordon struck the coast
at 70 mph, just shy of hurri-
cane strength, near Pasca-
goula, Mississippi late Tues-
day. Forecasters said radar
spotted possible tornados
spun off by the storm over-
night in southern Alabama
and the Florida panhandle.
Parts of the panhandle
had received more than
10 inches (25 centimeters) Pieces of an oak tree are seen after it fell on a mobile home killing a child in Pensacola, Fla., Wednesday, Sept. 5 2018. Tropical
in 24 hours as of midday Storm Gordon never became a hurricane and is now a depression, dumping rain across several southern states.
Wednesday. Associated Press
Even as the system was
weakening into a remnant child had been killed. Of- It wasn’t nearly as bad as er near Elsanor, Alabama, coast provided sand and
low it still posed threats as ficials haven’t released the when Nate, the last hur- could reach moderate, bags, and many hustled
it moved inland on a fore- child’s identity. ricane to strike the U.S., and possibly major, flood to protect their properties
cast track that would take Neighbors told the newspa- came ashore last October stage later Wednesday. ahead of the storm. New
its center northwest into per the victim was about 10 in nearby Biloxi, Mississippi. More than 27,000 custom- Orleans braced for flood-
Arkansas, then northeast months old. “We’re good,” he said. ers were without power as ing, but in the end got only
toward the Great Lakes. Escambia County received On the Mississippi Gulf Gordon began pushing a glancing blow.
Forecasters predicted total 10 calls overnight for Coast, 12 casinos that ashore, mostly in coastal New concerns: Hurricane
rain amounts of 4-8 inches downed trees in roadways, were ordered closed Tues- Alabama and the western Florence has formed in the
(10-20 centimeters) in parts along with multiple reports day were given permission tip of the Florida Panhandle Atlantic Ocean, on a path
of Alabama, Mississippi, of arcing power lines as Wednesday to open at around Pensacola, with a toward Bermuda, and lin-
Louisiana, Arkansas, Mis- the storm blew through noon. In Biloxi, fisherman few hundred in southeast- ing up behind it, another
souri, Iowa and Illinois. Rain- with peak gusts of 61 mph Ndoc Nguyen was return- ern Mississippi. Crews were potential storm was likely to
fall could be even more (98 kph). Beachgoers in ing with his shrimp boat to already restoring electricity form not far off the coast of
intense in isolated spots the area were warned the marina. He and other early Wednesday. Africa.
— up to 12 inches (30 cen- Wednesday of dangerous boaters had taken their Rain was still falling but the “It’s the peak of hurricane
timeters) through early Sat- rip currents that prompted boats inland in various riv- lights were on at a Waffle season,” Hurricane Center
urday. red-flag warnings, mean- ers to protect them from House restaurant in Mobile, Director Ken Graham said.
The only death reported ing it was illegal to enter the the storm surge and winds. where factory worker Je- “Now is the time to get your
as of Wednesday after- Gulf of Mexico. Nguyen said he would rome Richardson said he plans all set.”q
noon was the child killed Driftwood and other debris likely have to wait a few lost power at 9 p.m. as the
late Tuesday when a large made for hazardous driving days “for the wind to calm storm passed overhead. He
oak tree branch fell onto a early Wednesday on the down” before going out on was still without electricity
mobile home in Pensacola, causeway to Dauphin Is- the water again. as he left before dawn for
Florida. Neighbor Amanda land, Alabama, which was “This is the price you pay to his 12-hour shift.
Ray told the Pensacola partly flooded by seawater look at this beautiful water “I just hope I don’t have
News Journal she heard a overnight, leaving people and enjoy the coast,” Pas- to throw out everything in
crack and a scream as the to drive over sand and cagoula resident Richard my refrigerator when I get
limb fell around 9 p.m. Tues- around lawn furniture on Whitlock said as he raked home,” he said.
day. the main road. Siding was leaves and branches from Governors in Alabama,
“It was just awful,” she said, peeled off some houses, his yard overlooking the Mississippi and Louisiana
adding that the sounds but Mayor Jeff Collier said Gulf. had all declared states of
were almost indistinguish- “for the most part, we did A storm surge covered emergency to better mobi-
able from the storm’s howl- OK.” barrier islands as the storm lize state resources and Na-
ing winds. The Escambia Dominic Carlucci drove blew through, and some in- tional Guard troops for the
County Sheriff’s office back to his home on the land roadways were flood- storm. Workers on at least
posted on its Facebook barrier island in his Hummer, ed by the rain. The National 54 oil and gas production
page that responding and found no damage, just Weather Service in Mobile platforms were evacuated.
deputies discovered the a sagging wooden fence. cautioned that the Styx Riv- Communities along the