The National Hurricane Center issued a hurricane watch for the area from Grand Isle, Louisiana, to west of Destin, Florida. The center of Tropical Storm Karen is forecast to be near the coast within that area Saturday.

A tropical storm warning is in effect from Grand Isle to the mouth of the Pearl River on the Louisiana-Mississippi line.

“Karen could be near hurricane strength late Friday and early Saturday,” the hurricane center said, although the storm’s tracking map never shows Karen becoming a hurricane.