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NEW ORLEANS — The Coast Guard urges all mariners to prepare for Tropical Depression Fred before its predicted Monday morning landfall.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicts Tropical Depression Fred to upgrade to a tropical storm with winds ranging from 39 mph to 73 mph.

The Coast Guard is reminding the public of these important safety messages:

• Stay off the water. Hurricanes and tropical storms can be deadly and our ability to conduct rescues can be diminished or non-existent at the height of a storm. Be prepared, stay informed and heed storm warnings.
• Be prepared. Owners of large boats are urged to move their vessels to inland marinas where they will be less vulnerable to breaking free of their moorings or to sustaining damage. Mooring lines should be doubled in case of high winds. Boats that can be trailered should be pulled from the water and stored in a place that is not prone to flooding. Those who are leaving their boats in the water are reminded to remove EPIRBs and to secure life rings, life jackets, and small boats. These items, if not properly secured, can break free and require valuable search and rescue resources to be diverted and may put first responders in harm’s way to ensure people are not in distress.
• Evacuate as necessary. If mandatory evacuations are set for an area, the public should evacuate without delay. Coast Guard personnel and other emergency responders may not be able rescue those in danger during the storm.
• Stay informed. The public should monitor the progress and strength of the storm through local television, radio, and the Internet. Boaters can monitor its progress on VHF radio channel 16. Information can also be obtained on small craft advisories and warnings on VHF radio channel 16.
• For more information on hurricane preparedness visit Ready.Gov and NOAA websites, as well as following them on Twitter.

Port conditions change based on weather forecasts, and current port conditions can be viewed on the following Coast Guard homeport webpages:

• Sector Mobile, Alabama Port Directory
• Sector New Orleans Port Directory
• Sector Houston-Galveston Port Directory
• Sector Corpus Christi, Texas Port Directory
• Marine Safety Unit Port Arthur, Texas Port Directory
• Marine Safety Unit Houma, Louisiana Port Directory

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-USCG-