Tropical Storm Gordon To Become Hurricane Before Making Landfall

Forecasters expect Tropical Storm Gordon to strengthen into a Category 1 hurricane before making landfall along the Gulf Coast late Tuesday (September 4) night. The National Hurricane Center issued a hurricane warning along the coasts of Mississippi and Alabama. 

While Gordon bears down on the Gulf Coast, many residents don't seem very concerned as they start preparing for the potential of flooding rains and high winds.

"This is kind of routine to some degree," Kenny Macdonald told Fox News as he filled sandbags.  "You don't know what the intensity of the storm is going to be. You don't want to take it lightly, of course."

Gordon is expected to lose power quickly once it makes landfall, but even with weaker winds, the storm is expected to dump up to eight inches of rain, which can cause major flooding, especially in areas prone to storm surges.

As a precaution, the governors of Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana all declared states of emergency before the storm hits, allowing them to quickly deploy the National Guard. 

After making landfall, forecasters predict that Gordon will continue to move northwest toward Arkansas. 

Photo: Getty Images