Tropical Storm Nears Gulf Coast ; Second One May Pose Threat to Florida

NEW ORLEANS – The edge of Tropical Storm Cindy began moving ashore Tuesday night, pelting the Louisiana coast with sideways rain and intermittent squalls.

St. Bernard Parish Sheriff’s Office spokesman Capt. Mike Sanders said the low-lying coastal parish had seen much worse, but residents were still keeping a watchful eye on the storm – and on Tropical Storm Dennis, which was brewing in the Caribbean but would most likely arrive in the Gulf of Mexico by the weekend.

“Our main concern with Cindy is that she’ll come along the coastline, like it here, and stay awhile,” Sanders said. “We like tourism, we know people enjoy it here, but in Cindy’s case, we hope she just keeps on going.”

Oil companies evacuated their Gulf of Mexico rigs and tourists and residents on the vulnerable Louisiana and Mississippi coasts were advised to head inland earlier Tuesday. Forecasters said the storm could bring up to 10 inches of rain.

Numerous flights into and out of the New Orleans airport were canceled, and Amtrak suspended passenger rail service to and from the city until this afternoon.

At the Cajun Tide Beach Resort on the tiny Louisiana barrier island town of Grand Isle, owners Shirley Riche and David Ducote said they were beginning to see the wind pick up and mix with a little rain as the outer bands of Cindy began lashing the island, but it was all bearable.

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Storms’ tracks

*-Cindy – 55 miles south-southwest of Grand Isle, La., and heading north at 14 mph (8 p.m. EDT Tuesday).

*-Dennis – 385 miles southeast of Haiti and moving west- northwest at about 16 mph.

*-Dora – In the Pacific and moving toward Mexico’s southwest coast