Tropical Storm Sally set to reach New Orleans

Bloomberg

Tropical Storm Sally looks set to reach New Orleans and southeastern Louisiana stronger than earlier forecasts, bringing a dangerous storm surge, flooding rains and potentially causing up to $3 billion damage and losses.
Louisiana’s governor declared a state of emergency as the state braces for its second large storm in a month. Sally has also sparked evacuations on some offshore energy platforms. Landfall is likely to be Tuesday morning.
Sally’s winds could reach 100 miles (161 kilometres) per hour as it approaches southeast Louisiana, possibly near the mouth of the Mississippi River.
Hurricane and storm surge warnings have been posted for the coastal region, including New Orleans, the National Hurricane Center said in an advisory early Sunday. The storm would be a Category 2 hurricane on the five-step Saffir-Simpson scale, and could raise ocean levels 7 to 11 feet (2-3 meters) at the mouth of the Mississippi River.
“Heavy rain and surge are probably the two biggest sources of damage,” said Adam Douty, a meteorologists with AccuWeather Inc. “There could be flooding issues across a lot of these low lying areas.”
The storm’s track has shifted to the west, which means the threat to New Orleans is rising and it could lead to at least
$3 billion in damage and losses, said Chuck Watson, a disaster modeler with Enki Research.