Tropical Storm Karen Could Become a Hurricane Before Hitting US Gulf Coast

Oil and gas platforms in the Gulf evacuated

(Reuters) - Tropical Storm Karen formed in the southeast Gulf of Mexico on Thursday and could become a hurricane before hitting the U.S. coast between Louisiana and the Florida Panhandle, forecasters at the U.S. National Hurricane Center said.

Energy companies began evacuating some workers from oil and natural gas platforms in the Gulf of Mexico on Wednesday.

The storm had top winds of 60 mph and was centered about 500 miles south of the mouth of the Mississippi River.