Hurricane Drifts Toward Gulf Coast; Residents Flee : 1,000 Evacuated but 2,000 Are Trapped in Louisiana; Other Storm Weakens, Veers Past Hawaiian Islands

Tropical Storm Juan grew to a hurricane Sunday as it drifted north toward the Texas-Louisiana coast with winds up to 75 m.p.h., triggering flooding that forced more than 1,000 people to flee and trapping about 2,000 residents in Louisiana fishing villages.

In Hawaii, Hurricane Nele weakened Sunday and veered away from the island chain, where heavy surf subsided and a statewide hurricane watch was canceled. Air Force aerial photographs showed that the storm was about 370 miles southwest of Kauai, moving west-northwest away from the islands, the National Weather Service said.

Landfall Expected Today

Along the Gulf Coast, hurricane warnings were issued from Port Arthur, Tex., to Mobile, Ala., and Hurricane Juan was expected to hit land early today, the National Hurricane Center said.

The hurricane pounded the Louisiana coast with eight inches of rain and gale-force winds.

In Grand Isle, about 1,400 people were stranded when the only highway to the mainland was flooded Sunday night. “We’ve lost all power except for City Hall and the high school gymnasium, where we have a portable generator set up,” Mayor Pro Tem Phillip L. Bradberry Jr. said.

Civil Defense officials said about 600 other people were trapped by flooding in fishing villages along the Mississippi River near New Orleans.

Streets were flooded in the New Orleans area. Forecasters said the hurricane was kicking up tides of five to seven feet above normal along the Louisiana-Mississippi coast.

Officials began evacuating Delacroix Island, Yscloskey, Hopedale and Alluvial City, southeast of Chalmette, La., said Dave Munn, assistant director of civil defense in St. Bernard Parish.

National Guard Arrives

Munn said 20 National Guard troops arrived in high-riding, 2 1/2-ton trucks to help with the evacuation.

Another 300 residents took shelter at a high school in Chalmette, Munn said.

In Mississippi, Hancock County Sheriff Ronnie Peterson said deputies warned about 4,000 residents to prepare to evacuate low-lying areas in Shoreline Park, Bayside Park, Garden Isle, Ansley and Pearlington.

About 1,000 people fled as floodwaters rose over streets, but “it’s not absolutely necessary to evacuate at this point,” Peterson said.

The hurricane was not expected to gain additional strength as it churned toward the coast.

‘Minimal Hurricane’

“It should be stressed that Juan is a minimal hurricane, and even though rising tides will cause some coastal flooding, extensive evacuation should not be required,” the hurricane center said.

Meanwhile, Hurricane Nele’s winds had decreased to 80 m.p.h. at the center with gusts to 95 m.p.h., down from 110 m.p.h. Gradual weakening of storm was expected throughout the next few days, the weather service said.