Karen can be dangerous and is expected to drop heavy rain on Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula and also in Western Cuba. More than 7 inches of rain are expected. Isolated tornadoes and power outages can occur over the weekend.
Even the workers affected by the government shutdown were recalled to help prepare for Karen by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Predicting the intensity of a storm is not so easy. This is why some energy companies in the Gulf – including Anadarko Petroleum Corp and Exxon Mobil Corp – shut down production to be better prepared for the impact.
Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal declared a state of emergency. Grand Isle Mayor David Camardelle ordered an evacuation in the face of a tropical weather system.
The National Hurricane Center remained in full activity after the recent government shutdown due to the importance of their work.
