Tropical Storm Nate has formed in the Gulf of Mexico and is heading north.

Nate has reportedly caused 22 deaths within Central America and is expected to brush over the Yucatan peninsula on Friday, Oct. 6.

Currently, the tropical storm is over Honduras and maintaining maximum sustained winds of 40 mph. According the the National Hurricane Center (NHC), “[Tropical Storm Nate is] expected to move over the Northwestern Caribbean Sea tonight,” and is anticipated to strengthen to a hurricane over these warm waters.

Certain residents of Louisiana were issued evacuation orders on Thursday afternoon, and New Orleans has been taking measures to strengthen their drainage system after weaknesses were revealed following flash floods over the summer.

Nate is currently expected to make landfall between Louisiana and the Florida panhandle as a Category 1 Hurricane by Sunday. As of now, it is unclear if UNF will be affected by the storm. 

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Spinnaker will continue to monitor the storm and provide updates. For more information or news tips, or if you see an error in this story or have any compliments or concerns, contact editor@unfspinnaker.com.