Tropical Storm Karen will bring heavy rain to New Jersey when whatever is left of the storm arrives on Monday night.

A briefing about the the first named storm of the hurricane season to threaten the United States issued by the National Weather Service's Mt. Holly office says the storm, which will likely be a remnant low by the time it gets to New Jersey,  could bring upwards of 2.5 inches of rain across the entire state with locally heavy amounts of up to 4 inches which result in some flash floods.

 

High tide on Monday and Tuesday morning could bring minor coastal flooding. Winds will gust to only 25 MPH making it a non-factor for New Jersey. The storm, which will make landfall in the Gulf of Mexico over the weekend and track to the northeast towards New Jersey.

Forecasters at the National Hurricane Center in Miami are predicting that Tropical Storm Karen could reach hurricane force by late Friday. The latest reading puts the storm at about 340 miles from the mouth of the Mississippi River.

A tropical storm warning is in effect for the Louisiana coast. A hurricane watch extends from Louisiana to the Florida Panhandle.

In Mississippi, Gov. Phil Bryant declared a state of emergency, urging residents to prepare. State Emergency Management Agency Director Robert Latham said local schools will decide whether to play football games. He said the southern part of the state could have tropical storm-force winds by late Friday.

In Washington, the White House said the Federal Emergency Management Agency was recalling some workers furloughed due to the government shutdown to prepare for the storm.

Additional National Weather Service personnel returned to work at the Mt. Holly and New York offices in anticipation of the storm. The federal government shutdown resulted in the offices being manned by skeleton staff.

Get the latest on Karen's track and expected effect on New Jersey by texting WEATHER to 89000 for updates.

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