Nate takes aim at US, Mexico after killing 22

MANAGUA, Nicaragua - Tropical Storm Nate roared toward Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula after drenching Central America in rain that was blamed for at least 22 deaths, and forecasters said it could strengthen and reach the Gulf Coast of the United States as a hurricane over the weekend.

Louisiana officials declared a state of emergency and ordered some people to evacuate coastal areas and barrier islands ahead of its expected landfall early on Sunday, and evacuations began at some offshore oil platforms in the Gulf.

The US National Hurricane Center said Nate could cause dangerous flooding by dumping as much as 38 to 50 centimeters of rain as it moved over Honduras, with higher accumulations in a few places.