Nate lashes US Gulf Coast

Tropical storm Nate moved quickly inland from the US Gulf Coast yesterday after making landfall twice as a powerful hurricane, triggering widespread flooding and power outages.

After leaving a trail of death and destruction in Central America, the storm hit the southern United States -- the third hurricane to hit the region in less than two months as part of an especially active hurricane season.

More than 100,000 people were without power. Ahead of the storm, officials urged residents to evacuate some vulnerable areas before the storm first made landfall on the southeastern tip of Louisiana on Saturday evening and later hit along the Mississippi coast.

At 5:00 am, the storm had top winds of 70 miles per hour and was moving north-northeast at 23 miles per hour, according to the National Hurricane Center.

"Rapid weakening anticipated," the NHC said as the storm moved further inland over Mississippi and Alabama. It was expected to track further north through today.

It has since been downgraded to a tropical storm and hurricane warnings were discontinued.

"This is a life-threatening situation. Persons located within these areas should take all necessary actions to protect life and property from rising water and the potential for other dangerous conditions," the NHC said.