STORMY

Lee Pounds Gulf Coast with Heavy Rain

While moving north to Appalachian region.

Tropical Storm Lee continued to dump heavy rain Sunday on Louisiana and Texas as it moved north toward the Appalachian region and was downgraded to a tropical depression. Extensive flooding was reported in Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi and while flooding was reported in parts of New Orleans, the levees appeared to be holding up through the storm. Despite the downgrade of the storm, National Weather Center officials worried about flash flooding in the Appalachian region as the storm moved north, as the area is similar to Vermont. Meanwhile, Hurricane Katia strengthened to a Category 3 hurricane in the Atlantic Ocean with 105 mph winds. While the storm is expected to veer north and not make landfall in the U.S., officials warned it will cause dangerous rip currents on the East Coast.