Tropical Storm Barry Bears Down On Mexico

Tropical Storm Barry bore down on Mexico’s Gulf Coast early Thursday as civil defense workers readied emergency shelters and forecasters warned of the possibility of deadly flash floods and mudslides. The second tropical storm of the Atlantic hurricane season packed 45-mph (75-kph) winds that were already being felt as the storm edged toward an expected morning landfall northwest of the port city of Veracruz, authorities said. The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said the storm was about 30 miles (45 kilometers) north of the Gulf Coast port at 5 a.m. EDT and heading west at 5 mph (7 kph).