This historic one-two punch of two tropical storms striking the United States within hours of one another is 15 years after Hurricane Katrina devastated Gulf Coast, 2005. After he had loaded a few sandbags in his pickup, John Smith from Gulfport said that although this is not Katrina. “I take it seriously.” Forecasters predicted that Tropical Storm Marco would bring rain to the coast, and could cause a storm surge of 2-5 feet Monday through Tuesday. However, officials from the state warned that Tropical Storm Laura, a stronger storm expected to enter the Gulf of Mexico Monday night, could make the Coast more vulnerable later in the week. Laura is expected to turn into a hurricane and is expected to land near the Texas-Louisiana border on Monday afternoon. However, even if the storm tracks as it is now, flooding and strong winds could still be a problem for Mississippi. Governor Tate Reeves stated that “the second storm is not yet within the Gulf of Mexico.” Tate Reeves stated Monday morning. “Just as we saw with Marco there is no way to predict where the storm will go… 2020 is unpredictable so we expect the unexpected. We expect rare events to happen, and this week we are seeing exactly that.” Hurricane preparations, evacuations, and evacuations are complicated by the COVID-19 Pandemic which continues to impact Mississippi more than other states. On Monday morning, state officials again advised residents to avoid shelters during the pandemic. “Shelters can be opened if necessary. Greg Michel, executive director at the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency, stated that COVID won’t stop us opening them. Congregate shelters can put more people at risk during this pandemic. “We are not saying that you should use congregate shelters as your first choice.