STORM

The National Hurricane Center has upgraded tropical depression 13 into Tropical Storm Lee on Friday, as Mississippi joined Louisiana in declaring a state of emergency as the storm prepares to assault the U.S. Gulf Coast with a threat of torrential rains and widespread flooding. On Thursday, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal declared a state of emergency as the storm developed.

From soaring temperatures to overflowing rivers to an unprecedented spate of costly natural disasters, 2011 has been a year of extreme, record-breaking weather.

Louisiana has declared a state of emergency and Alabama, Florida, Mississippi are warned to be on alert as the tropical depression that's likely to become Tropical Storm Lee or Hurricane Lee poses a significant threat to the U.S. Gulf Coast region. Heavy rains and flooding are forecast.

Oil and an oil sheen covering several square miles of water are surfacing near the site of last year's BP Macondo Well disaster, prompting concerns that the well might not be plugged as Tropical Storm Lee gathers strength.

Tropical Storm Irene left Vermont with severe flooding. In response, residents took to Facebook to help in the recovery.

This year's Atlantic hurricane season has been jam-packed, with 12 named storms in three months -- the total number of named storms seen in a normal six-month season. Why is 2011 proving more active than 2009 or 2010?

Katia weakened slightly to a tropical storm, but could still head towards the U.S. coast as a major hurricane. Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Lee is expected to hit the Louisiana Gulf Coast this weekend.

From flooding to drought to tornadoes, 2011 is already on the books as an unprecedented, record-shattering year for weather in the United States.

Tropical Depression 13, which continued to move toward the Gulf Coast on Friday, has winds up to 35 miles per hour, but the region can't rest easy. The storm may not be packing hurricane-force winds when it hits New Orleans, but it could drench the city with up to 20 inches of rain and cause severe flooding.

Oil and an oil sheen covering several square miles of water are surfacing near the site of last year’s BP Macondo Well disaster, prompting concerns that the well might not be plugged.

Tropical Katia is not expected to strengthen much on Friday, as wind shear clips the system, but forecasters say the storm will likely regain hurricane strength and perhaps cut a path toward the U.S. coast by the middle of next week. At 8 a.m. Friday, Katia was in the Atlantic, 700 miles east of the Leeward Islands. The storm is moving northwest at 15 miles per hour with sustained winds of 70 miles per hour, just below hurricane strength.

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal has declared a state of emergency as New Orleans and others in the Gulf Coast region prepare for possibly torrential rainfall and flooding from a developing tropical storm.Tropical Depression 13 poses a high threat level to several states along the Gulf Coast. This is a developing story on Friday with potential for significant impact into the Labor Day weekend and early next week that residents along the coasts of Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and even Texas sho...

Tropical Depression 13 poses a high threat level to the U.S. Gulf Coast region, including potential flooding risks in New Orleans which was devastated by high waters from Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal has issued a state of emergency in advance of the storm, likely to intensify to tropical storm status with drenching rainfall.

Headed towards the Shikoku and Hiroshima regions of the Japan archipelago, Typhoon Talas is the 5th typhoon of the 2011 Pacific Typhoon season.

Brent crude hovered at $114 a barrel Friday, on track for its second consecutive weekly gain, as investors eyed U.S. jobs data for clues on whether the world's largest oil consumer will be able to dodge a recession.

The tropical depression will be called Lee if it upgrades to a tropical storm. It is currently creeping north through the Gulf of Mexico. It could spur torrential rains and coastal flooding from the Florida Panhandle to Texas-Louisiana border, National Hurricane Center Director Bill Read told the media.

Whether Hurricane Katia will have any impact on the United States is still uncertain, but forecasters are keeping a watchful eye on a new tropical threat in the Gulf of Mexico.

It is a mistake to focus just on a hurricane's wind speed. Of the most catastrophic hurricanes in United States history, the majority were so devastating because of the flooding caused by a combination of heavy rainfall and storm surges, not because of the winds themselves.

Prolonged periods of heavy rain from the new tropical storm in the Gulf of Mexico will do little to alleviate severe drought conditions that have plagued the nation's midsection.

29-year old cyclist was killed after swerving out of the way of construction debris

As the chances of a low-pressure system in the Gulf of Mexico turning into a tropical depression in next two days increase and reach around 70 percent, major oil and natural gas companies functioning in the U.S-regulated areas of the Gulf of Mexico have stopped their operations and started evacuating their employees.