Karen Stalls In Gulf; Maximum Winds Fall To 30 MPH

Karen, once feared to hit the U.S. Gulf Coast as a hurricane, has stalled out and weakened into a tropical depression. The National Weather Service says the storm is "drifting" at 2 mph, moving toward Louisiana's southeastern edge. As of early Sunday morning, it was about 165 miles west-southwest of the mouth of the Mississippi River.

Forecasters say that heavy rain and a storm surge may cause localized flooding in low-lying areas along the coast, but no widespread weather warnings or watches are in place. In Louisiana, an evacuation that had been mandatory was degraded to a voluntary evacuation on Saturday.

"Maximum sustained winds have decreased to near 30 mph," the National Hurricane Center said on Sunday. "Karen is expected to become a remnant low later today."

In the next two days, Karen's path is predicted to shift a bit to the east, taking its center just south of the Alabama and Mississippi coast later Sunday and tonight, and passing over parts of Florida's panhandle on Monday.

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