( CNN ) -- A hurricane watch is in effect for parts of the U.S. Gulf Coast after Tropical Storm Karen formed in the southeastern portion of the Gulf of Mexico , the National Hurricane Center said Thursday . Track the storm . The watch covers the area from Grand Isle , Louisiana , to west of Destin , Florida . The center of the storm 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 . `` Karen is expected to be at or near hurricane strength late Friday and early Saturday , '' read a hurricane center advisory . The storm , which as of Thursday evening was about 360 miles south of the Mississippi River 's mouth , prompted the Federal Emergency Management Agency to recall some of its workers , furloughed during the government shutdown . The agency also reactivated its Hurricane Liaison Team at the National Hurricane Center in Miami . FEMA officials in the Atlanta and Denton , Texas , offices are monitoring Karen . `` At all times , FEMA maintains commodities , including millions of liters of water , millions of meals and hundreds of thousands of blankets , strategically located at distribution centers throughout the United States , including in the Gulf Coast region , that are available to state and local partners if needed and requested , '' the agency said in a statement . The hurricane center said it , too , would be unaffected by the government shutdown as Karen approaches . `` The National Hurricane Center is fully operational ... and has all of its resources available to it , '' spokesman Dennis Feltgen said in an e-mail . `` The government shutdown will not inhibit NHC from providing its mission . '' A tropical storm watch was in effect from west of Grand Isle to east of Morgan City , Louisiana , an area that includes metropolitan New Orleans , Lake Maurepas and Lake Ponchartrain . A tropical storm watch was also in effect from Destin to Indian Pass , Florida . Louisiana Gov . Bobby Jindal declared a statewide state of emergency . Florida Gov . Rick Scott declared a state of emergency in 18 counties . New Orleans officials released a statement asking residents to `` monitor weather conditions and stay alert . '' Karen formed between Cuba and Mexico 's Yucatan Peninsula . It 's producing winds of 65 mph , with higher gusts . The storm is moving north-northwest up the Mexican coast at 12 mph , the hurricane center said . `` Karen is expected to produce heavy rainfall over portions of western Cuba and the northeastern Yucatan Peninsula during the next day or so , '' according to the center 's advisory . In the central Atlantic Ocean , Tropical Depression Jerry became a remnant low . It had sustained winds of 35 mph as it moved east-northeast at 14 mph . It poses no threat to land . CNN 's Sean Morris and Eliott C. McLaughlin contributed to this report .
Florida governor declares a state of emergency in hundreds of thousands counties . Eliott C. McLaughlin expected to be at or near hurricane strength late Friday , late Friday . A tropical storm warning is issued for a part of southeastern Florida . CNN recalls some of its workers who were furloughed during shutdown .