Tropical Storm Nate Forms, Threatens To Hit U.S. Gulf Coast

Tropical Storm Nate formed off the coast of Nicaragua on Thursday and it was expected to drench parts of Central America and Mexico before potentially hitting the U.S. Gulf Coast as a hurricane over the weekend. The U.S. National Hurricane Center said the storm could cause dangerous flooding by dumping as much as 15 to 20 inches of rain on Nicaragua, with higher accumulations in a few places. It had maximum sustained winds of 40 mph Thursday morning and was likely to strengthen over the northwestern Caribbean Sea Thursday night and Friday. It had formed as a tropical depression on Wednesday.