New Orleans residents prepare for tropical storms

Residents and visitors in New Orleans on Sunday were preparing to leave town or hunker down as Marco approaches the Louisiana coast.

Ed Feys of Detroit, Michigan, who was in New Orleans visiting his son, loaded the back of his vehicle with jugs of bottled water and canned goods, saying he's not sure what to expect.

"Is it going to be a catastrophe or is it going to be just a lot of rain?" he said.

New Orleans resident Clay Smith said he's remaining optimistic, as he loaded his car with rations.

"It seems to be moving pretty quickly, and it's not that strong," Smith said. "So, I'm hoping it's a rain event and the power stays on. But, it could go off."

New Orleans resident Matthew Meloy said he filled the tank in his car and planned to check batteries and flashlights and clear the gutters ahead of Marco's arrival. He also planned to move his car to "the highest point possible" since the streets are prone to flooding.

Sandy Port walked the French Quarter, her visit to the city from Bullhead City, Arizona, cut short due to Marco. She was supposed to stay through the end of the month but changed her flight to leave Monday morning.

"I know all about when bad weather comes," she said. "You either want to get ahead of it and try not to ride it out because you just never know what's going to happen."

Marco became a hurricane over the Gulf of Mexico Sunday on a path toward the Louisiana coast. Tropical Storm Laura battered the Dominican Republic and Haiti and headed to the same part of the U.S. coast, also as a potential hurricane.

It would be the first time two hurricanes form in the Gulf of Mexico simultaneously, according to records dating to at least 1900, said Colorado State University hurricane researcher Phil Klotzbach.

The National Hurricane Center said Marco was about 300 miles (480 kilometers) south of the mouth of the Mississippi River and heading north-northwest at 14 miles per hour (22 kph), packing winds of 75 miles per hour (120 kph).

The centre warned of life-threatening storm surges and hurricane-force winds along the Gulf Coast.

(Image Credit Pixabay)