A 10-year-old boy was killed on Wednesday (21 June) after being struck on the beach by a log pushed ashore by a surge from Tropical Storm Cindy, officials have said.

The boy was vacationing in Fort Morgan, Alabama with his family when the incident took place outside their condominium. The family is from St Louis, Missouri.

Baldwin County Sheriff's Capt. Stephen Arthur told the Associated Press that emergency service personel and family members had attempted to revive the boy.

A state of emergency has been declared in Alabama as the storm, which formed on Tuesday, made its way towards Lousiana and Texas. The storm is expected to hit land around the meeting of the two states on Thursday.

"Hurricane season is underway and that means the potential for increased tropical activity along the Gulf Coast," Alabama Governor Kay Ivey said on Tuesday. "To ensure the state of Alabama is prepared, I have issued a State of Emergency effective today. This State of Emergency will guarantee state resources are on standby and are ready to assist impacted communities if necessary."

Governor John Bel Edwards also followed suit and declared a state of emergency in Louisiana on Wednesday. "All arms of the state's emergency preparedness and response apparatus are taking Tropical Storm Cindy seriously, and we are calling on all Louisianans throughout the state to do so as well," Edwards said.

"State and local officials are working around the clock to monitor and respond to dangerous situations as they develop. In the meantime, please do all you can to prepare for the worst while praying for the best."

Elsewhere in the country, a waterspout came aground in Mississippi and all along the gulf coast heavy rainfall has seen roads and streets flooded.