Trump: ‘Great team’ at FEMA is ‘prepared’ for Hurricane Nate

Trump is still reeling from bad press over assertions of a slow federal response to the last hurricane to threaten the U.S. – Hurricane Maria, which devastated Puerto Rico late last month – despite his administration’s efforts to defend its actions.

Earlier in the morning, Trump approved an emergency declaration for Louisiana, authorizing the Homeland Security Department and FEMA to coordinate relief efforts in the state and provide federal assistance.

Brock Long, the administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency has named William Doran III as the federal coordinating officer for federal recovery operations in the affected areas, the White House said in a statement.

Hurricane Nate is speeding toward the Gulf Coast and is strengthening over the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Forecasters expect it to make landfall somewhere between Louisiana and the Florida panhandle late Saturday.

“#GulfCoast please take Hurricane #Nate seriously, and please be prepared for heavy inland rainfall,” tweeted White House homeland security adviser Tom Bossert.