The 2024 Atlantic hurricane season comes to a close Saturday, bringing an end to a season that saw 11 hurricanes compared to the average seven, billions of dollars in damage and deaths and destruction hundreds of miles from where storms came ashore on the U.S. Gulf Coast.

Track Hurricane Milton live on radar as it moves through Florida.

Follow live coverage on Hurricane Milton from Florida, as the major hurricane nears landfall on the Gulf Coast.

Here are live updates from Florida as the dangerous Hurricane Milton approaches.

Top Biden administration officials met with port operators ahead of a possible strike at East and Gulf coast ports, with a union contract set to expire late Monday.

Massive Hurricane Helene crashed into Florida’s sparsely populated Big Bend region, bringing storm surge and high winds across the state’s Gulf Coast communities before ripping into southern Georgia.

The number of heat-related howler monkeys deaths in Mexico has risen to 157, with a tragically small number of the primates treated or recovering.

More than 15 million people from Texas to Florida are under threat of severe storms and the potential for more tornadoes.

U.S. officials who predict, prepare for and respond to natural disasters have a message for Floridians: It’s not a matter of if but when a hurricane will hit the state.

Florida wildlife officials say a sperm whale that became famous after beaching itself on a sandbar has died.

If you love cold, snowy winters, don’t get your hopes up in Michigan this upcoming season.

The Biden administration has awarded $1.4 billion to projects improving railway safety and boosting rail capacity.

Floridians pray that when Idalia hits the Gulf Coast it won’t join the long list of destructive Atlantic Ocean storms whose names started with “I.”.

Forecasters are warning of possible flash flooding and landslides across the eastern Yucatan peninsula and western Cuba, and Florida is bracing for a possible hurricane by midweek, as a weather system off the coast of Mexico is expected to become a tropical storm by Sunday.

Another record-setting day of high temperatures hit the Dallas/Fort Worth area before a slight cooling trend moves into the area.

Portland, Oregon received nearly a foot of snow in a single day in what proved to be its second-snowiest day in history.

We’re getting a sneak peek at what this winter season could like -- and feel like -- in Michigan.

Federal weather officials say drought and wildfire risks will remain elevated in the western states while warmer than average temperatures will greet the Southwest, Gulf Coast and East Coast this winter.

The people of Florida will need help over the coming days, weeks and possibly months amid significant damage and hazards caused by Hurricane Ian.

Hurricane Ian is currently hitting the Gulf Coast of Florida after strengthening to a Category 4 storm before making landfall, possibly near Port Charlotte.

A crew working on the Alabama coast is assessing the remains of the last slave ship known to have landed in the United States, more than 160 years ago.

Everything is panning out exactly as expected with the big winter storm that’s now developing to our west. The low-pressure center is now located in northwest Iowa, and it’s diving southeast toward the Gulf coast, taking the snow with it.

A major U.S. port was the target last month of suspected nation-state hackers.

Tropical Storm Nicholas has weakened to a tropical depression as it slowed to a crawl over southeastern Texas and southwestern Louisiana as its heavy rains continued to drench the area, maintaining a flood threat.

Strengthening off of the Gulf Coast Monday, Tropical Storm Nicholas is threatening to soon make landfall in Texas, possibly as a hurricane.

At 400 PM CDT (2100 UTC), the center of Post-Tropical Cyclone Nicholas was located near latitude 32.0 North, longitude 92.7 West. The post-tropical cyclone is moving toward the north near 2 mph (4...

Joe Sobol, owner of Big Easy Construction in New Orleans, has bad news for homeowners who’ve been calling about roofs damaged by Hurricane Ida.

President Joe Biden is pledging robust federal help for the Northeastern and Gulf states battered by Hurricane Ida and for Western states beset by wildfires.

Watch live satellite images and an animated forecast cone of Hurricane Ida as it churns through the Caribbean Sea toward the Gulf Coast.

Watch live satellite images and an animated forecast cone of Hurricane Ida as it churns through the Caribbean Sea toward the Gulf Coast.

Officials are offering new hope for the safety of U.S. schoolchildren threatened by COVID-19.

Tropical Storm Ida formed early Thursday afternoon in the Western Caribbean, and as of midday Friday, it was projected that the storm would track into the Gulf eventually as a hurricane of at least Category 2 strength.

Tropical Storm Ida has formed in the Caribbean and forecasters say it's aimed at the U.S. Gulf Coast, prompting Louisiana’s governor to declare a state of emergency and forecasters to announce a hurricane watch for New Orleans.

The U.S. Gulf Coast is glowing like a bad sunburn on maps that show COVID-19 trouble spots in red.

Tropical Depression Grace is drenching Haiti, dumping up to 15 inches of rain on a quake-damaged landscape as thousands of people huddle in fields and search for survivors.

Tropical Storm Elsa has since carved a destructive path up the East Coast after killing one person in Florida and injuring several others in Georgia.

Weather forecasters say a storm that has been lashing Florida over the past day has intensified into a hurricane.

The shutdown of a major pipeline on the East Coast due to a cyberattack will not impact automotive fuel supply in Michigan, officials said on Wednesday.

Hurricane Zeta passed through Wednesday leaving much of the city and metro area without power. Even as Zeta battered the south, the upcoming election was still on the mind of some residents. “Guys, we received the brunt of Zeta, and Zeta gave us a good punch,” McInnis told WDSU-TV. More than 875,000 customers were without electricity in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, including about 350,000 in metro New Orleans. Winds could be “especially severe” in the southern Appalachian Mountains, where flash flooding is possible, the hurricane center said.

MIAMI – Newly formed Tropical Storm Zeta strengthened Sunday in the western Caribbean and will probably become a hurricane before hitting Mexico's resort-dotted Yucatan Peninsula and the U.S. Gulf Coast in coming days. Zeta was the earliest named 27th Atlantic storm recorded in an already historic hurricane season. The system was centered about 300 miles (480 kilometers) southeast of Cozumel island in Mexico at midafternoon, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said. The government is still handing out aid, including sheet roofing, to Yucatan residents hit by Hurricane Delta and Tropical Storm Gamma earlier this month. The hurricane center said it could make landfall anywhere from Louisiana to the Florida Panhandle.

Zeta is moving toward the east-northeast near 55 mph (89 km/h), and this general motion is expected to continue through tonight. On the forecast track, the center of Zeta will emerge over the western Atlantic this evening. Maximum sustained winds are near 50 mph (85 km/h) with higher gusts. A sustained wind of 39 mph (63 km/h) and a gust to 46 mph (74 km/h) were recently reported at Ocean City, Maryland. RAINFALL: The last of the heavy rainfall along the track of Zeta will impact the Mid-Atlantic through this evening.

This photo provided by Greg Crippen shows the scene where a U.S. Navy training plane crashed in an Alabama residential neighborhood near the Gulf Coast, Friday, Oct. 23, 2020 near Foley, Ala. (Greg Crippen via AP)FOLEY, Ala. – A U.S. Navy training plane that took off from Florida crashed Friday in an Alabama residential neighborhood near the Gulf Coast, killing both people in the plane, authorities said. Zach Harrell, a spokesperson for Commander, Naval Air Forces, said both people in the T-6B Texan II training plane died, but they weren't immediately releasing their names. The crash occurred southeast of Mobile, near the city of Foley and the town of Magnolia Springs. The plane had flown out of Naval Air Station Whiting Field, about 30 miles (48.28 kilometers) northeast of Pensacola, Florida, Navy spokeswoman Julie Ziegenhorn said. The U.S. Department of Defense and the Navy were set to handle the investigation, the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office tweeted.

Watch a live tracker of Hurricane Delta as it approaches the Gulf Coast of the United States. Forecasters said Delta — the 25th named storm of an unprecedented Atlantic hurricane season — would likely crash ashore Friday evening somewhere on southwest Louisiana’s coast. The question was whether it would remain at devastating Category 3 strength, with top winds of 120 mph (195 kph) early Friday, or drop just before landfall to a still extremely dangerous Category 2 storm. Either way, Delta is such a large hurricane that the storm surge risk remains high even if it becomes less intense just before striking land, the National Hurricane Center said. Live Hurricane Delta tracking below:

Louisiana residents still recovering from the devastation of a powerful hurricane less than two months ago braced for another hit as Hurricane Delta steamed north through the Gulf on Thursday after swiping Mexicos Yucatan Peninsula. The projected path included the southwest area of Louisiana where Category 4 Hurricane Laura made landfall less than two months ago. Randazzo watched pieces of one of his restaurants, Panorama Music House, fly past a meteorologist’s car on a Facebook Live video during Hurricane Laura. The most recent forecast for Hurricane Delta has the storm making landfall “almost precisely” where Hurricane Laura struck — a region where homes and electrical infrastructure are still damaged, Edwards said in a radio interview. New Orleans, well to the east of the projected landfall area, was expected to escape the worst of Hurricane Delta.

The storm being watched Wednesday was Hurricane Delta, the 25th named storm of the Atlantic's unprecedented hurricane season. Forecasts placed most of Louisiana within Delta's path, with the latest National Hurricane Center estimating landfall in the state on Friday. Along with getting hit by Hurricane Laura and escaping Hurricane Sally, Louisiana saw heavy flooding June 7 from Tropical Storm Cristobal. Tropical Storm Beta prompted tropical storm warnings in mid-September as it slowly crawled up the northeast Texas coast. “Not seeing any signs of any additional tropical weather in the extended which is OK with us because we are SO DONE with Hurricane Season 2020,” they wrote.

Fishermen pull in a boat before the arrival of Hurricane Delta in Puerto Juarez, Cancun, Mexico, Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2020. Hurricane Delta rapidly intensified into a potentially catastrophic Category 4 hurricane Tuesday on a course to hammer southeastern Mexico and then continue on to the U.S. Gulf coast this week. (AP Photo/Victor Ruiz Garcia)MEXICO CITY – Hurricane Delta rapidly intensified into a dangerous Category 4 storm Tuesday while on a course to hammer Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula and then continue on to the U.S. Gulf Coast later in the week. From Tulum to Cancun, tourism-dependent communities still soaked by the remnants of Tropical Storm Gamma could bear the brunt of Delta. Delta increased in strength 80 mph, more than doubling from a 60 mph storm at 2 pm EDT Monday to 140 mph at 2 pm EDT Tuesday.

Location 90 miles S of Knoxville Tennessee Wind 15 mph Heading E at 15 mph Pressure 29.77 Coordinates 84.1W, 34.5NDiscussionAt 1100 PM EDT (0300 UTC), the center of Post-Tropical Cyclone Delta was located near latitude 34.5 North, longitude 84.1 West. The post-tropical cyclone is moving toward the east near 15 mph, and this motion is expected to continue tonight and Monday morning. Maximum sustained winds are near 15 mph (30 km/h) with higher gusts. Some further weakening is possible tonight as a new surface low develops in the Carolinas, and Delta's surface low is expected to be absorbed by this new low pressure area on Monday. Moderate to major river flooring will continue across the Calcasieu and Mermentau river basins in Louisiana through much of next week

HOUSTON – As Tropical Storm Beta neared the Texas coast Monday, the biggest unknown was how much rainfall it could produce in areas that have already seen their share of damaging weather during a busy hurricane season. Rain from Beta was already coming down Monday in the Houston area. Earlier predictions of up to 20 inches (51 centimeters) in some areas were downgraded Monday to up to 15 inches (38 centimeters). Forecasters and officials reassured residents Beta was not expected to be another Hurricane Harvey or Tropical Storm Imelda. Harvey in 2017 dumped more than 50 inches (127 centimeters) of rain on Houston, causing $125 billion in damage in Texas.

Forecasters said Beta was not expected to bring the same amount of rainfall that Texas experienced during either Hurricane Harvey in 2017 or Tropical Storm Imelda last year. The first rain bands from Beta reached the Texas coast on Sunday, but the heaviest rain wasn't expected to arrive until Monday into Tuesday. If the system makes landfall in Texas, it would be the ninth named storm to make landfall in the continental U.S. in 2020. A tropical storm warning was in effect for Bermuda. Wilfred, which had been a tropical storm, weakened to a tropical depression earlier Sunday.

– As rain and wind from Sally starting reaching the Gulf Coast, the manager of a Mississippi alligator ranch was just hoping he wouldn’t have to deal with a repeat of what happened during Hurricane Katrina. That’s when about 250 alligators escaped their enclosures as storm surge pushed water over the grounds. “I’m thinking a sigh of relief somewhat,” said manager Tim Parker, who took over Gulf Coast Gator Ranch & Tours after Katrina. As the hurricane moved east of Mississippi, the surge forecast was reduced to no more than 4 feet (1.2 meters). Parker’s farm has alligators up to 14 feet long, roaming and swimming through ponds, sand dunes and tall marsh grass.

Watch a live tracker of Hurricane Sally as it makes landfall in Alabama and Florida. Watch here:AP: Hurricane Sally finally comes ashore near Gulf ShoresHurricane Sally has made landfall near Gulf Shores, Alabama, as a Category 2 storm, bringing torrential rain over a coastal storm surge that forecasters said would cause dangerous flooding from the Florida Panhandle to Mississippi and well inland in the days ahead. The slow-moving hurricane finally came ashore with top winds of 105 mph (165 kmh), the National Hurricane Center said. Read more here.

A curfew was called in the coastal Alabama city of Gulf Shores due to life-threatening conditions. The county includes Pensacola, one of the largest cities on the Gulf Coast. Landfall was expected on the northern Gulf Coast early Wednesday. Although the hurricane had the Alabama and Florida coasts in its sights Wednesday, its effects were felt all along the northern Gulf Coast. With Hurricane Sally expected to dump rain for days, the problem could be worse than normal, she said.

People play in a flooded parking lot at Navarre Beach, Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2020, in Pensacola Beach, Fla. Hurricane Sally is crawling toward the northern Gulf Coast at just 2 mph, a pace that's enabling the storm to gather huge amounts of water to eventually dump on land. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)Here are the latest developments on tropical weather (all times local):PENSACOLA, Fla. — Sally has restrengthened into a powerful Category 2 hurricane as it veers eastward and crawls toward a potential landfall between the Florida Panhandle and Mobile Bay. The National Hurricane Center said early Wednesday that the storm's sustained winds had increased to 100 mph (161 kph). The latest forecast track has the hurricane making landfall later Wednesday morning. About 1 a.m. EDT Wednesday, Sally was centered about 65 miles (105 kilometers) southeast of Mobile, Alabama, and 60 miles (95 kilometers) southwest of Pensacola, Florida.

Waters from the Guld of Mexico poor onto a local road, Monday, Sept. 14, 2020, in Waveland, Miss. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbrt)Here are the latest developments on tropical weather (all times local):___The Florida Panhandle is being pummeled by heavy rains from Hurricane Sally’s outer bands. The powerful, plodding storm was crawling toward the northern Gulf Coast at 3 mph (4.8 kph) early Tuesday. Florida’s governor declared an emergency in two western Panhandle counties. President Donald Trump issued an emergency declaration for Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.

This satellite photo provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows Tropical Storm Sally, Sunday, Sept. 13, 2020, at 2050 GMT. Sally churned northward on Sunday, poised to turn into a hurricane and send a life-threatening storm surge along the northern Gulf of Mexico. (NOAA via AP)Here are the latest developments on tropical weather (all times local):4 p.m.A rapidly intensifying Hurricane Sally is closing in on the northern Gulf Coast Sally after reaching Category 2 strength. The National Hurricane Center in Miami says Sally has grown into an extremely dangerous hurricane with top sustained winds of 100 mph (155 kph). The storm could drop as much as 2 feet (0.6 meters) of rain in spots and that could bring severe flooding, according to the center.

– Storm-weary Gulf Coast residents prepared for a new weather onslaught Monday as Tropical Storm Sally churned northward. He said a matching pelican marker on the opposite side of the driveway was washed away in Tropical Storm Cristobal earlier this summer. “That system is forecast to bring not only damaging winds but a dangerous storm surge,” said Daniel Brown of the Hurricane Center. Once a tropical storm, Rene was forecast to become a remnant low Monday. Tropical Depression Twenty was expected to strengthen this week and become a tropical storm by Tuesday, forecasters said.

– Tropical Storm Sally slowed down Sunday as it churned northward toward the U.S. Gulf Coast, increasing the risk of heavy rain and dangerous storm surge before an expected strike as a Category 2 hurricane in southern Louisiana. He said a matching pelican marker on the opposite side of the driveway was washed away in Tropical Storm Cristobal earlier this summer. Once a tropical storm, Rene was forecast to become a remnant low Monday. Tropical Depression Twenty was expected to strengthen this week and become a tropical storm by Tuesday, forecasters said. “It is likely that this storm system will be impacting Alabama’s Gulf Coast.

Some key takeaways of the immediate analysis of Laura's effects have emerged:IT WILL TAKE MONTHS TO KNOW EFFECTS:Scientists say some coastal impact from Hurricane Laura is inevitable. Bren Haase, who heads the states Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority, said the eastern Cameron shoreline got pounded pretty hard." SALINITY'S A PROBLEMAnother question is how long storm surge waters sit before eventually draining away. Laura took a slight jog to the East just before making landfall which probably prevented some of the worst storm surge from pushing all the way into Lake Charles. This might be in part because the storm blew through so quickly and the storm surge was so high that it simply rode over the marshes, rather than tearing them up.

WATERFORD TOWNSHIP, Mich. – Hurricane Laura is one of the most powerful storms ever to make landfall in the United States. It was a Category 4 storm when it hit the Gulf Coast overnight. Now, people in Metro Detroit are gearing up to help. LIVE TRACKING: Hurricane Laura blasts Gulf Coast with wind, rain, wall of waterThe group “Disaster Relief At Work” is from Waterford Township and is heading to the Gulf Coast. Watch video above for the full report

Watch live satellite tracking and forecasting of Hurricane Laura. Laura pounded the Gulf Coast for hours with ferocious wind, torrential rains and rising seawater as it roared ashore over southwestern Louisiana near the Texas border early Thursday, threatening the lives of people who didn’t evacuate. Hours after landfall, Laura was still a Category 2 hurricane, with maximum sustained winds of 110 mph (175 kph). Louisiana took the brunt of the damage when the Category 4 system barreled over Lake Charles, an industrial and casino city of 80,000 people. The hurricane’s top wind speed of 150 mph (241 kph) put it among the most powerful systems on record in the U.S.Read more here.

Police said one of the individuals involved was driving around and asking people where they could find officers to shoot. Whitmer for Michigan nursing home data to see if COVID-19 response warrants investigationThe Justice Department is asking Gov. Gretchen Whitmer for Michigan nursing home data linked to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak as part of an effort to find out if the states response warrants a federal investigation. Number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in children continues to riseAs students in some states head back to in-person school, a recent series of reports show the number of COVID-19 cases in children and teens is climbing. The state reported its highest one-day testing total with more than 41,000 diagnostic tests on Aug. 21.

Watch live satellite tracking and forecasting of Hurricane Laura. Laura rapidly gained strength Wednesday, raising fears that it could come ashore as a Category 4 hurricane with a 20-foot storm surge that forecasters said would be “unsurvivable” and capable of sinking entire communities. Satellite images show that Laura has become “a formidable hurricane” in recent hours, threatening to smash homes and sink entire communities. A Category 4 hurricane will do catastrophic damage: “Power outages will last weeks to possibly months. Most of the area will be uninhabitable for weeks or months,” the weather service says.

A girl wades towards her flooded home the day after the passing of Tropical Storm Laura in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Monday, Aug. 24, 2020. Laura battered the Dominican Republic and Haiti on it's way to the U.S. Gulf Coast, where forecaster fear it could become a major hurricane. Now forecasters are turning their attention the Gulf Coast, where up to 11 feet (3.4 meters) of sea water storm surge could inundate the coastline from High Island in Texas to Morgan City, Louisiana, the hurricane center said. Hurricane Rita then struck southwest Louisiana that Sept. 24 as a Category 3 storm. We might have dodged a bullet with Marco, and obviously some people along the Gulf Coast are not going to be as blessed as us.___Martin reported from Marietta, Georgia.

DETROIT Rain chances are plentiful until the weekend, which will bring some fairly noticeable changes. Were also keeping our eyes on the strongest hurricane of the season as it heads toward the Gulf Coast. Thursday will bring the strongest storms. Weekend reversalOur last weekend in August will be a refreshing change from the workweek. Laura strengthensLaura will likely become the strongest hurricane of the season and our first major hurricane.

A girl wades towards her flooded home the day after the passing of Tropical Storm Laura in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Monday, Aug. 24, 2020. Laura battered the Dominican Republic and Haiti on it's way to the U.S. Gulf Coast, where forecaster fear it could become a major hurricane. (AP Photo/Dieu Nalio Chery)

Street vendors wade a flooded street during the passing of Tropical Storm Laura in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Sunday, Aug. 23, 2020. Laura battered the Dominican Republic and Haiti and is heading for a possible hit on the Louisiana coast at or close to hurricane force as a hurricane, along with Tropical Storm Marco. Forecasters said it would likely remain just off the Louisiana coast through Tuesday. Despite Marco's weakening, a storm surge warning remained in place from Morgan City, Louisiana, to Ocean Springs, Mississippi. A storm surge of up to 4 feet (1.2 meters) was forecast for parts of coastal Louisiana and Mississippi.

Magnolias, stars, a Gulf Coast lighthouse, a teddy bear, and even Kermit the Frog appear on some of the over 1,800 proposals submitted by the general public for a new Mississippi flag and posted Monday, Aug. 3, 2020, on the Mississippi Department of Archives and History web site. The state recently retired the last state banner with the Confederate battle emblem that's widely condemned as racist and a nine-member commission will design a replacement that cannot include the Confederate symbol and must have the phrase, "In God We Trust." (Mississippi Department of Archives and History, via AP)

There is a Saharan dust plume heading for North America. Saharan dust plumes as 6 a.m. Wednesday, June 24, 2020. Saharan dust plume over the Caribbean at 6 a.m. Wednesday, June 24, 2020. The jet stream should allow for the Saharan dust plume in the Caribbean to move northward starting June 25, 2020. (WDIV)If the skies are clear in Michigan, this will allow the dust plume to create a very nice sunrise and sunset through the weekend and perhaps into early next week.

Thousands of people marched along some of Metro Detroits busiest streets on Saturday calling for an end to racial inequality. A re-energized Tropical Storm Cristobal continued its advance toward the U.S. Gulf Coast early Sunday, having spawned a tornado in Florida and brought heavy rains that already caused flooding and mudslides in Mexico and Central America. The worldwide death toll from COVID-19 has surpassed 400,000, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University that health experts say is still an undercount because many who died were not tested for the virus. The number of confirmed cases of the coronavirus (COVID-19) in Michigan has risen to 58,749 as of Sunday morning, including 5,652 deaths, state officials report. On Saturday a total of 42,041 recoveries were reported statewide.

Saturday, June 6, 2020, ahead of Tropical Storm Cristobal. A re-energized Tropical Storm Cristobal advanced toward the U.S. Gulf Coast early Saturday, bringing with it the heavy rains that already caused flooding and mudslides in Mexico and Central America. After weakening to a tropical depression while moving over land in Mexico's Gulf coast, Cristobal headed back into the southern Gulf of Mexico from the Yucatan Peninsula on Friday and powered back up into a tropical storm. Outer rain bands from the storm were spreading across parts of the northern Gulf Coast early Sunday, and conditions were expected to deteriorate. A tropical storm warning was posted for the northern Gulf of Mexico coast from Intracoastal City, Louisiana, to the Alabama-Florida border.

MIAMI A re-energized Tropical Storm Cristobal advanced toward the U.S. Gulf Coast early Saturday, bringing with it the heavy rains that already caused flooding and mudslides in Mexico and Central America. After weakening to a tropical depression while moving over land in Mexico's Gulf coast, Cristobal headed back into the southern Gulf of Mexico from the Yucatan Peninsula on Friday and powered back up into a tropical storm. The National Hurricane Center in Miami said in its 7 a.m. advisory Saturday that the storm was expected to slowly strengthen until it makes landfall, expected Sunday night along the U.S. Gulf Coast. A tropical storm watch was posted for the northern Gulf of Mexico coast from Intracoastal City, Louisiana, to the Alabama-Florida border. Cristobal formed this week in the Bay of Campeche from the remnants of Tropical Storm Amanda, which had sprung up last weekend in the eastern Pacific and hit Central America.

Tropical Storm Nestor bore down on the northern Gulf Coast with high winds, surging seas and heavy rains Friday evening. TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Tropical Storm Nestor bore down on the northern Gulf Coast with high winds, surging seas and heavy rains Friday evening, threatening to hit an area of the Florida Panhandle devastated one year ago by Hurricane Michael. "We've done very little preparation only because there's nothing really to prepare for," said Mexico City Beach Mayor Al Cathey. The National Hurricane Center said high winds and dangerous storm surge were likely along parts of the northern Gulf Coast. A storm surge warning is in effect for Indian Pass, Florida, to Clearwater Beach, Florida.

Marianna Massey/Getty Images(CNN) - The first bands of Tropical Storm Nestor are beginning to affect the Gulf Coast, the National Hurricane Center said Friday afternoon. The system gained tropical storm status and had maximum sustained winds of 60 miles per hour. Surges of 1 to 3 feet were possible in Tampa Bay, the hurricane center said. "Persons located within these (storm surge warning) areas should take all necessary actions to protect life and property from rising water and the potential for other dangerous conditions." Winds and rainTropical-storm-force winds of 39 mph and higher are expected Friday in the tropical storm warning areas.

CNN image(CNN) - A disorganized area of storms in the Gulf of Mexico is expected to develop into a tropical or subtropical storm Thursday as it heads toward the U.S. Gulf Coast, the National Hurricane Center said. The system is expected to continue to intensify, and tropical storm watches and warnings and storm surge watches have been issued for parts of the Gulf Coast, from Louisiana into Florida. The storms will also bring heavy rain and possible flooding tomorrow and through the weekend from the Gulf Coast into the Southeast. The system is expected to begin moving northeast toward the U.S. Gulf Coast, with a potential landfall along the north-central Gulf region Saturday. Regardless of tropical formation, the system could bring heavy rainfall and high winds to Gulf Coast states.

Barry weakened to a tropical storm at landfall, but it still poses dangers along the Gulf Coast. Distributed by LAKANA. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

A life-threatening storm gathered strength as it crept its way towards the U.S Gulf Coast. Distributed by LAKANA. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Local 4Casters weather app:Remember to download the FREE Local4Casters weather app. Also, download our FREE Storm Pins app so you can take and share weather photos and videos. Just pin Storm Pins to a map so the Local4Casters can share them and give you a TV shoutout. Feel free to share pictures and clips with other Storm Pins users, too. The FREE Local4Casters Weather and Storm Pins apps are the perfect way to make weather more social.

Gulf Coast residents are preparing for catastrophic flooding from Tropical Storm Barry. Distributed by LAKANA. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

"There is a danger of life-threatening storm surge inundation along the coast of southern and southeastern Louisiana," the National Weather Service said. What exactly is storm surge? The rise in water levels, known as storm surge, happens when winds from a fierce storm push water up and onto shore. Forecasters said the stronger the storm, the stronger the winds and the higher the storm surge will be. Rising water is the deadliest part of a stormWhen a big storm approaches, many people worry about wind and debris.

joe Raedle/Getty Images(CNN) - While many Americans along the Gulf Coast are bracing for torrential rain and a possible hurricane, millions of others are dreading the oppressive heat to come in the next few days. More than 6.5 million people are under an excessive heat warning, including residents of Phoenix. Above normal temperatures in the Arizona capital could factor into heat indexes close to 120 degrees on Friday and Saturday. On Wednesday the temperature alone was headed toward 110 degrees and Thursday will be hotter. Medical experts say it is important during heat waves to stay hydrated by drinking plenty of fluids.

Jason Oxenham/Getty Images(CNN) - Beachgoers heading to the Gulf Coast this week could be greeted by the first tropical storm of the Atlantic hurricane season. "A tropical depression is expected to form by Thursday from a broad area of low pressure moving slowly westward over the northern Gulf of Mexico," the National Hurricane Center said. If that happens, we'll see the first tropical depression of the 2019 season. But what if the tropical depression doesn't happen? "Even if the system doesn't fully develop, very heavy rains are forecast along the Gulf Coast region, with up to 10 to 15 inches of rain possible along the future path of the storm," Hennen said.

Along the state's Gulf Coast, all 21 of the state's beaches have been shut down for swimming due to a blue-green harmful algal bloom (HAB), according to the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ). The toxic algae can cause rashes, stomach cramps, nausea, diarrhea and vomiting, the state agency warned. In fact, every US coastal and Great Lakes state experiences them, the NOAA says. However, they are popping up with increasing frequency due to climate change and increasing nutrient pollution, according to the NOAA. If you think you may have been exposed to toxic algae, the CDC recommends calling your local poison information center or consulting your doctor about managing symptoms.

2005: Hurricane Katrina makes landfall as a Category 3 hurricane in southeast Louisiana. Katrina would go on to devastate much of the U.S. Gulf Coast from Louisiana to the Florida Panhandle, killing more than 1,836 and causing more than $80 billion in damage. The most significant number of deaths occurred in New Orleans, which flooded after the city's levee system catastrophically failed, in many cases hours after the storm had moved inland. Hide Caption