Extreme Weather Center: Tracking Tropical Storm Barry
Gulf Coast braces for dangerous storm surge, wind and rainfall.
Louisiana residents are bracing for a possible hurricane as Tropical Storm Barry continues to threaten the state’s coast.
Mandatory evacuations were issued for parts of Louisiana on Thursday — specifically in Plaquemines Parish where — as of Thursday morning — 8,000 to 10,000 parish residents were under a mandatory evacuation order, spokeswoman Jade Duplessis said.
WHAT ARE STORM SURGES?
Barry, which is the second named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, is expected to strengthen into a hurricane by late Friday and make landfall by early Saturday along the Louisiana coast.
The National Weather Service also warned flooding is a threat as New Orleans could get 10 to 15 inches of rain Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Some isolated areas could see 20 inches. Storm surges watches and warnings are also in effect for various areas along the coast.
Read on for a look at the storm’s expected path and other information.
Where is Tropical Storm Barry now?
The National Hurricane Center said in a 1:00 p.m. update on Thursday that the slow-moving storm is located about 90 miles south of the mouth of the Mississippi River. It noted the storm is “moving slowly westward across the northern Gulf of Mexico,” and warned “dangerous storm surge, heavy rains and wind conditions [are] expected across the north-central Gulf Coast.”
As of that same time, Tropical Storm Barry had maximum sustained winds of 40 mph.
How is the state preparing?
On Wednesday, Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards declared a state of emergency for all of Louisiana.
"This is going to be a Louisiana event with coastal flooding and widespread, heavy rainfall potentially impacting every part of the state,” Edwards said in a statement. “No one should take this storm lightly. As we know all too well in Louisiana, low intensity does not necessarily mean low impact.”
The governor also encouraged residents to “check [their] emergency supplies and get a game plan for [their] family and pets. He also urged residents to monitor local media for “weather developments and follow the directions of local officials.”
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New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell said the city's water pumps are "working at optimal capacity" as Tropical Storm Barry moves toward the state's Gulf coast. That said, at a Thursday news conference, she added that flooding is a threat because slow-moving, heavy rains are expected from the storm.
“We cannot pump our way out of the water levels … that are expected to hit the city of New Orleans,” she warned.
Fox News’ Travis Fedschun and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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