Heavy rainstorm plods towards US Gulf Coast

Oil companies have been evacuating workers from rigs in the Gulf of Mexico ahead of the storm, and Louisiana has declared a state of emergency at a time when the US northeast is still grappling with floods from Hurricane Irene.

The National Hurricane Center -- which has issued tropical storm warnings for the coastal areas from Mississippi, to Texas -- said the storm was creeping north at just two miles (3.2 kilometers) an hour.

But it said the new weather system, provisionally called Tropical Depression 13, could strengthen to a tropical storm and hit areas of the coast where memories are still fresh of the devastation from Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal on Thursday declared a state of emergency, warning of the threat of "extremely heavy, prolonged rainfall resulting in very high tides for coastal parishes and the possibility of flash floods."

He said some areas could receive receive up 12-15 inches (30 to 38 centimeters) of rainfall over 48 hours during the Labor Day holiday weekend, based on current forecasts.

"We know from experience that it’s best to prepare for the worst and hope for the best," Jindal said.

The new disturbance was packing winds of 35 miles (55 kilometers) per hour and was centered about 240 miles (385 kilometers) south of the mouth of the Mississippi River, the NHC said at 0900 GMT.

"The depression could become a tropical storm later today," the NHC said, adding that tropical storm-force winds were being reported on nearby oil rigs.

ExxonMobil said it was evacuating approximately 140 employees and contractors from Gulf Coast offshore platforms expected to be in the path of the storm.

"Gross production of approximately 11,000 barrels per day of liquids and 60 million cubic feet per day of natural gas has been shut-in," the oil giant said in a statement.

BP said it had begun evacuating "all personnel from its operative assets in the Gulf of Mexico" on Thursday, but did not indicate the impact on production.

Shell said weather conditions were interfering with evacuation efforts and it might be safer to leave some workers on their rigs.

"Our priorities at this time continue to be ensuring the safety of personnel, protecting the environment and minimizing production and operational impact," the Anglo-Dutch energy giant said in a statement.

Shell said it had begun to shut down some production, but that the impact so far had been "minimal."

Anadarko said it had shut in production at all eight of its facilities and was evacuating all personnel -- about 100 people.

Chevron said it was evacuating "non-essential personnel" and that production has not been affected.

The new storm approached as US President Barack Obama declared a "major" disaster area in New Jersey and announced plans to visit the flood-hit state on Sunday to view damage wrought by Hurricane Irene, the Atlantic season\'s first.

Thousands remain cut off by flooding in Vermont, New Jersey and upstate New York in the aftermath of Irene, which killed nearly 50 people.

Meanwhile, Katia was downgraded to a tropical storm Thursday but was expected to regain strength as it moved westward in the Atlantic, the NHC said.

Katia was 750 miles (1,205 kilometers) east of the northern Leeward Islands at 0900 GMT -- too far to affect any land mass -- and there was a chance it would cycle north and disintegrate without hitting the North American mainland.

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