Dubbed the "unluckiest woman," Dayna Wyland, a resident of Lake Arrowhead, California, has either witnessed or escaped five natural disasters in her lifetime. Right now, she is escaping the wildfires in the state. She says she went to her aunt's place after a third emergency alert was sent to evacuate.

Lake Arrowhead is located in San Bernardino County where nearly 2,000 firefighters are battling the blaze. According to Fox Weather, fires have burned an area of more than 26,400 acres.

Talking to Fox News Digital, Wyland said, "I'm nervous now, and I know so many people in Running Springs, the next little tiny town over that are losing their house right now as we speak, and it absolutely kills me."&nbsp;

"Those are my friends and even the people that aren't my friends, even the people I don't know," she added.

She was once given the title of the "unluckiest woman" by the media, considering the number of natural disasters she had witnessed

However, she begs to differ, since the last wildfire she got caught up in happened 17 years ago.&nbsp;

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"It has [been] 16, 17 years since the last fire, so you can't say the 'unluckiest one,' but we'll see because next time I move, we'll have that conversation," she said.&nbsp;

<h2>Hurricanes and a blizzard</h2>

But wildfires are not the only things she has witnessed. Hurricane Katrina in 2007 devastated their life in New Orleans. She said, "There was about 10 feet of flooding [in my house]. So everything on the bottom floor was completely destroyed."

The family drove 20 hours to Texas where they spent the next three months with a friend.&nbsp;

Next came Hurricane Rita and Wyland and her family had to evacuate once again.

Two years back, there was a blizzard, which she calls "Snowmageddon".

"We were snowed in for 11 days in our house with no electricity," she said.&nbsp;

Her husband is still in Lake Arrowhead, and waiting for the final alert to evacuate. Wyland says people seem to be leaving the area. "It looks like they're heeding the warnings, and everything's closed up in town. No banks," she said.&nbsp;

Dubbed the "unluckiest woman," Dayna Wyland, a resident of Lake Arrowhead, California, has either witnessed or escaped five natural disasters in her lifetime. Right now, she is escaping the wildfires in the state.

Dubbed the "unluckiest woman," Dayna Wyland, a resident of Lake Arrowhead, California, has either witnessed or escaped five natural disasters in her lifetime. Right now, she is escaping the wildfires in the state. She says she went to her aunt's place after a third emergency alert was sent to evacuate. Lake Arrowhead is located in San Bernardino County where nearly 2,000 firefighters are battling the blaze. According to Fox Weather, fires have burned an area of more than 26,400 acres. Talking to Fox News Digital, Wyland said, "I'm nervous now, and I know so many people in Running Springs, the next little tiny town over that are losing their house right now as we speak, and it absolutely kills me." "Those are my friends and even the people that aren't my friends, even the people I don't know," she added. She was once given the title of the "unluckiest woman" by the media, considering the number of natural disasters she had witnessed However, she begs to differ, since the last wildfire she got caught up in happened 17 years ago. Also Read: Greek woman lands in trouble for intentionally starting wildfires to flirt with firefighters "It has [been] 16, 17 years since the last fire, so you can't say the 'unluckiest one,' but we'll see because next time I move, we'll have that conversation," she said. Hurricanes and a blizzard But wildfires are not the only things she has witnessed. Hurricane Katrina in 2007 devastated their life in New Orleans. She said, "There was about 10 feet of flooding [in my house]. So everything on the bottom floor was completely destroyed." The family drove 20 hours to Texas where they spent the next three months with a friend. Next came Hurricane Rita and Wyland and her family had to evacuate once again. Two years back, there was a blizzard, which she calls "Snowmageddon". "We were snowed in for 11 days in our house with no electricity," she said. Her husband is still in Lake Arrowhead, and waiting for the final alert to evacuate. Wyland says people seem to be leaving the area. "It looks like they're heeding the warnings, and everything's closed up in town. No banks," she said.

Meet the 'unluckiest woman' who has survived wildfires, hurricanes and 'snowmageddon'

Four deaths and multiple severe injuries have been confirmed as crews began fanning out in boats and off-road vehicles to search communities cut off by Hurricane Ida.

Ida, one of the most powerful hurricanes ever to hit the US Gulf Coast, had weakened to a tropical depression by as it churned over Mississippi, where the system brought heavy rains overnight.

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The crew got the blades turning a little early to be able to make two passes through the eye as Hurricane <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Ida?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Ida</a> made landfall. Here’s what we saw: <a href="https://t.co/BrwKwFVQiB">pic.twitter.com/BrwKwFVQiB</a>
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Louisiana and Mississippi took stock of the disaster inflicted by Hurricane Ida, as receding floodwaters began to reveal the full extent of the damage.

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Flood defenses hold, 16 years after Katrina failure

New Orleans was still mostly without power nearly two days after Ida slammed into the Louisiana coast as a Category 4 storm, exactly 16 years after devastating Hurricane Katrina,&nbsp;which killed more than 1,800 people in 2005,&nbsp;made landfall.

But a $14.5 billion system of levees, flood gates, and pumps designed in the wake of Katrina's devastation largely worked as designed during Ida, officials said, sparing New Orleans from the catastrophic flooding that devastated the area 16 years ago.

The state's healthcare systems also appeared to have largely escaped catastrophic damage at a time when Louisiana is reeling from a resurgence of COVID-19 infections that has strained hospitals.

With water treatment plants overwhelmed by floodwaters or crippled by power outages, some places were also facing shortages of drinking water. About 441,000 people in 17 parishes had no water, and an additional 319,000 were under boil-water advisories, federal officials said.

President Joe Biden declared a major disaster for Louisiana and Mississippi, which gives the states access to federal aid.

Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards said his state had deployed more than 1,600 personnel for search and rescue operations, while the Pentagon said over 5,200 personnel from the military, federal emergency management, and National Guard had been activated across several southern states.

Climate change is fueling deadly and disastrous weather across the globe, including stronger and more damaging hurricanes.

Scientists have warned of a rise in cyclone activity as the ocean surface warms due to climate change, posing an increasing threat to the world's coastal communities.

(With inputs from agencies)

Four deaths and multiple severe injuries have been confirmed as crews began fanning out in boats and off-road vehicles to search communities cut off by Hurricane Ida.

Four deaths and multiple severe injuries have been confirmed as crews began fanning out in boats and off-road vehicles to search communities cut off by Hurricane Ida. Ida, one of the most powerful hurricanes ever to hit the US Gulf Coast, had weakened to a tropical depression by as it churned over Mississippi, where the system brought heavy rains overnight. The crew got the blades turning a little early to be able to make two passes through the eye as Hurricane #Ida made landfall. Here’s what we saw: pic.twitter.com/BrwKwFVQiB — Hurricane Hunters (@53rdWRS) August 29, 2021 × Louisiana and Mississippi took stock of the disaster inflicted by Hurricane Ida, as receding floodwaters began to reveal the full extent of the damage. Flood defenses hold, 16 years after Katrina failure New Orleans was still mostly without power nearly two days after Ida slammed into the Louisiana coast as a Category 4 storm, exactly 16 years after devastating Hurricane Katrina, which killed more than 1,800 people in 2005, made landfall. But a $14.5 billion system of levees, flood gates, and pumps designed in the wake of Katrina's devastation largely worked as designed during Ida, officials said, sparing New Orleans from the catastrophic flooding that devastated the area 16 years ago. The state's healthcare systems also appeared to have largely escaped catastrophic damage at a time when Louisiana is reeling from a resurgence of COVID-19 infections that has strained hospitals. With water treatment plants overwhelmed by floodwaters or crippled by power outages, some places were also facing shortages of drinking water. About 441,000 people in 17 parishes had no water, and an additional 319,000 were under boil-water advisories, federal officials said. President Joe Biden declared a major disaster for Louisiana and Mississippi, which gives the states access to federal aid. Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards said his state had deployed more than 1,600 personnel for search and rescue operations, while the Pentagon said over 5,200 personnel from the military, federal emergency management, and National Guard had been activated across several southern states. Climate change is fueling deadly and disastrous weather across the globe, including stronger and more damaging hurricanes. Scientists have warned of a rise in cyclone activity as the ocean surface warms due to climate change, posing an increasing threat to the world's coastal communities. (With inputs from agencies)

Four dead, multiple injured in sweltering aftermath of Hurricane Ida

Over the past half-century, the number of weather-related disasters has increased dramatically, resulting in massive damages even as better warning systems have led to fewer deaths, the UN reported Wednesday.

This report by&nbsp;UN's World Meteorological Organization (WMO) examines&nbsp;mortality and economic losses due to weather, climate and water extremes between 1970 and 2019.

The report found that disasters have increased fivefold in that time frame, largely driven by climate change. According to the report, this trend is expected to continue.

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WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas says that&nbsp;"The number of weather, climate and water extremes are increasing and will become more frequent and severe in many parts of the world as a result of climate change,".

Worldwide, more than two million people have died and $3.64 trillion has been lost as a result of some 11,000 disasters since 1970.

According to Taalas, Hurricane Ida, which slammed into the US Gulf Coast over the weekend and killed at least four people, could become the costliest weather disaster on record, surpassing Katrina which had&nbsp;an economic cost of around $164 billion.

"There is a chance that the economic cost will be higher than Katrina," he said, pointing out that better preventative and protective measures had ensured Ida caused only a fraction of the deaths caused by Katrina 16 years ago.&nbsp;

On average 115 die every day

The report found that on average, a weather,&nbsp;climate and water extremes&nbsp;related disaster has occurred every single day for the past 50 years, killing 115 people and causing $202 million in daily losses.

91 per cent of the deaths took place in developing countries.

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Droughts made up the greatest percentage of human fatalities, totalling some 650,000, while storms caused over 577,000 deaths.

Nearly 59,000 people perished in floods over the past 50 years, while close to 56,000 have died in extreme temperatures, according to the report.

The number of deaths falls

A positive finding of the report is that the number of deaths associated with weather and climate disasters declined nearly threefold even as the number of such disasters ballooned.

According to WMO, fewer than 20,000 people died each year during the 2010s compared to over 50,000 in the 1970s.

While there were 170 related deaths per day during the 1970s and 1980s, the daily average dropped to 90 in the 1990s, then to 40 during the 2010s.

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Taalas attributed the drop in deaths largely to improvements in early warning systems.&nbsp;"Quite simply, we are better than ever before at saving lives," he said.

But while early warning systems have saved lives, there has been little protection against a swell of economic damage to disaster-prone areas.

The reported losses between 2010 to 2019 averaged $383 million per day, seven times higher than the $49 million losses per day in the 1970s.

Seven of the costliest 10 disasters in the past 50 years have happened since Katrina hit in 2005, with three of them in 2017 alone: Hurricane Harvey, which caused nearly $97 billion in damages, followed by Maria at close to $70 billion and Irma at almost $60 billion.

(With inputs from agencies)

Over the past half-century, the number of weather-related disasters has increased dramatically, resulting in massive damages even as better warning systems have led to fewer deaths, the UN reported Wednesday.

Over the past half-century, the number of weather-related disasters has increased dramatically, resulting in massive damages even as better warning systems have led to fewer deaths, the UN reported Wednesday. This report by UN's World Meteorological Organization (WMO) examines mortality and economic losses due to weather, climate and water extremes between 1970 and 2019. The report found that disasters have increased fivefold in that time frame, largely driven by climate change. According to the report, this trend is expected to continue. Also read | New research estimates that 30% of the world's tree species face extinction WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas says that "The number of weather, climate and water extremes are increasing and will become more frequent and severe in many parts of the world as a result of climate change,". Worldwide, more than two million people have died and $3.64 trillion has been lost as a result of some 11,000 disasters since 1970. According to Taalas, Hurricane Ida, which slammed into the US Gulf Coast over the weekend and killed at least four people, could become the costliest weather disaster on record, surpassing Katrina which had an economic cost of around $164 billion. "There is a chance that the economic cost will be higher than Katrina," he said, pointing out that better preventative and protective measures had ensured Ida caused only a fraction of the deaths caused by Katrina 16 years ago. On average 115 die every day The report found that on average, a weather, climate and water extremes related disaster has occurred every single day for the past 50 years, killing 115 people and causing $202 million in daily losses. 91 per cent of the deaths took place in developing countries. Also read | WHO warns against a new variant that may be resistant to vaccines Droughts made up the greatest percentage of human fatalities, totalling some 650,000, while storms caused over 577,000 deaths. Nearly 59,000 people perished in floods over the past 50 years, while close to 56,000 have died in extreme temperatures, according to the report. The number of deaths falls A positive finding of the report is that the number of deaths associated with weather and climate disasters declined nearly threefold even as the number of such disasters ballooned. According to WMO, fewer than 20,000 people died each year during the 2010s compared to over 50,000 in the 1970s. While there were 170 related deaths per day during the 1970s and 1980s, the daily average dropped to 90 in the 1990s, then to 40 during the 2010s. Also read | Study shows Brazilian viper venom may become tool in fight against COVID-19 Taalas attributed the drop in deaths largely to improvements in early warning systems. "Quite simply, we are better than ever before at saving lives," he said. But while early warning systems have saved lives, there has been little protection against a swell of economic damage to disaster-prone areas. The reported losses between 2010 to 2019 averaged $383 million per day, seven times higher than the $49 million losses per day in the 1970s. Seven of the costliest 10 disasters in the past 50 years have happened since Katrina hit in 2005, with three of them in 2017 alone: Hurricane Harvey, which caused nearly $97 billion in damages, followed by Maria at close to $70 billion and Irma at almost $60 billion. (With inputs from agencies)

UN report: Despite a decline in deaths from weather-related events, the economic cost rises

Satellite pictures show damage caused by Hurricane Ida

Hurricane Ida made landfall in Louisiana on Sunday as Category 4 storm destroying power lines in New Orleans as it caused "catastrophic transmission damage."

The storm hit on the same date as Hurricane Katrina which had wrecked Mississippi and Louisiana in 2005.

The hurricane packed wind speeds of 230 kph as it slowed down later was downgraded to Category 3 by Sunday evening.

The US National Hurricane Center(NHC) said: "Ida is a dangerous category 3 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. Rapid weakening is expected during the next day or so, however, Ida is forecast to remain a hurricane through late tonight."

The hurricane centre warned that the storm could create "life-threatening situation" even as showers and strong winds swept New Orleans before its arrival.

State governor John Bel Edwards asked people to remain in their houses until the storm passes warning that "coming days and weeks are going to be extremely difficult".

The weather department said rainfall of up to 25 to 46 centimetres is expected in southern Louisiana which has been hit hard by the storm.

Grand Isle, a town located in New Orleans was flooded as over 700,000 homes were cut off from electricity by Sunday evening as the storm hit.

Several people had evacuated to safer areas in New Orleans ahead of the storm with traffic congesting reported on the highways even as some left just before Ida made landfall.

The storm hit the southern state amid the coronavirus wave with hospitals already full of Covid patients.&nbsp;

Hurricane Katrina had hit Louisiana on August 29, 2005 leading to the death of at least&nbsp;1,800 people as it caused billions of dollars in damages.

(With inputs from Agencies)

Hurricane Ida made landfall in Louisiana on Sunday as Category 4 storm destroying power lines in New Orleans as it caused "catastrophic transmission damage." The storm hit on the same date as Hurricane Katrina which had wrecked Mississippi and Louisiana in 2005.

Hurricane Ida made landfall in Louisiana on Sunday as Category 4 storm destroying power lines in New Orleans as it caused "catastrophic transmission damage." The storm hit on the same date as Hurricane Katrina which had wrecked Mississippi and Louisiana in 2005. The hurricane packed wind speeds of 230 kph as it slowed down later was downgraded to Category 3 by Sunday evening. The US National Hurricane Center(NHC) said: "Ida is a dangerous category 3 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. Rapid weakening is expected during the next day or so, however, Ida is forecast to remain a hurricane through late tonight." The hurricane centre warned that the storm could create "life-threatening situation" even as showers and strong winds swept New Orleans before its arrival. State governor John Bel Edwards asked people to remain in their houses until the storm passes warning that "coming days and weeks are going to be extremely difficult". The weather department said rainfall of up to 25 to 46 centimetres is expected in southern Louisiana which has been hit hard by the storm. Grand Isle, a town located in New Orleans was flooded as over 700,000 homes were cut off from electricity by Sunday evening as the storm hit. Several people had evacuated to safer areas in New Orleans ahead of the storm with traffic congesting reported on the highways even as some left just before Ida made landfall. The storm hit the southern state amid the coronavirus wave with hospitals already full of Covid patients. Hurricane Katrina had hit Louisiana on August 29, 2005 leading to the death of at least 1,800 people as it caused billions of dollars in damages. (With inputs from Agencies)

Hurricane Ida pummels Louisiana; power lines in New Orleans destroyed

As hurricane Dorian approaches, quick look at Florida's deadliest and destructive hurricanes

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/barry-churns-off-louisiana-new-orleans-storm-surge-lower-than-feared-235610">Barry weakened further</a> on Sunday as the storm churned across the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/life-threatening-tropical-storm-barry-grinds-toward-louisiana-235408">US state of Louisiana</a>, bringing along heavy rains and the possibility of flooding and tornadoes.

There have been no reported deaths so far in Louisiana or neighbouring states from Barry, which had briefly become the first hurricane of the Atlantic season before the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/tropical-storm-barry-nears-new-orleans-raising-flood-threat-235161">National Hurricane Center</a> downgraded it to a tropical storm and then a tropical depression.

Still, as the storm moved inland on a northern track, it packed a serious punch.

Louisianans kept a wary eye on rivers and canals badly swollen by the torrential rainfall, following an extraordinarily wet season farther up the Mississippi River. &nbsp;

This is "the wettest year we've had since 1895," Major General Richard Kaiser, who heads the Mississippi River Commission, said on Fox News.

He said the broad river is "the highest it's been for a long time" just below flood stage.

Bands of heavy rain continued to lash New Orleans, the state's biggest city, but its airport was able to resume normal service after cancelling all flights on Saturday.

Fears that the levee system protecting New Orleans could be compromised eased.

Mayor LaToya Cantrell, who a day earlier had urged residents not to be complacent, said in a news conference Sunday that "we made it through the storm. We are lucky; we were spared."

Dangers remain&nbsp;

As of 4:00 pm Sunday (2100 GMT), the storm's maximum sustained winds had dropped to 35 miles (55 kilometres) per hour. It was located north-northeast of Shreveport in western Louisiana, moving towards Arkansas, the National Hurricane Center said.

"Further weakening is expected as the centre moves farther inland, and Barry is forecast to degenerate into a remnant low-pressure system by Monday night," the NHC said.

US Senator Bill Cassidy said of the storm on Fox News: "We have seen worse."&nbsp;

Evacuation orders had already been lifted in several locales including Plaquemines Parish, south of New Orleans, where up to 10,000 residents had been under orders to leave.

But on Sunday, National Guard members were still laying down sand-filled barriers in a bid to contain flooding after "severely high water" overtopped levees in the Plaquemines town of Myrtle Grove, according to parish information officer Jade Duplessis.

Pete Gaynor, the acting administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, told Fox that "there are still life-threatening conditions."&nbsp;

"The rain is the threat," he added, noting that floodwaters farther up the engorged Mississippi will be moving south in the coming days.&nbsp;

Many coastal areas remained on alert.

Tornadoes were possible in parts of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas, and Tennessee, the NHC said.

Rainfall estimates lowered further to between three and five inches (8 to 13 centimetres) over south-central Louisiana but rivers and canals are already near capacity.

Across southern Louisiana, Barry's heavy winds scattered tree branches and knocked down power lines, leaving an estimated hundred thousand people without electricity. Reporters saw localized flooding and badly swollen waterways.

Memories of Katrina&nbsp;

The eye of the storm made landfall Saturday at tiny Intracoastal City.

Rivers overtopped their levees in several locations, including part of coastal Terrebonne Parish.

The Atchafalaya River swallowed a waterfront pedestrian promenade in Morgan City.

For many, the storm revived unpleasant memories of Hurricane Katrina.

While thousands of Louisianans fled for safety as the storm approached, others hunkered down to ride it out, sometimes defying mandatory evacuation orders.

On the huge Lake Pontchartrain's southern shore in northern New Orleans, 72-year-old retired postal worker Mike Pisciotta shrugged off Barry's local effects as he stood on the lake's level.&nbsp;

"It hasn't been anything," he said while acknowledging that other areas were harder hit. "I guess we are lucky."

On Pontchartrain's northern edge, 61-year-old Gerard Braud, a communications consultant, said there were five feet (1.5 meters) of water under his elevated lakefront home.

"It extended back in some places, five, six, seven blocks from the lake," he said, adding, "Water levels are the biggest threat in a weak storm like this."

Not far away, Michael Forbes, 61, a prosecuting attorney, said lake levels were far higher than normal due to the wind blowing water in from the Gulf and Mississippi River water being channelled into the lake to ease flood pressure.

"People are used to it, and they're scared of it, too," he said. "Every year it's a worry."

In 2005, Katrina the costliest and deadliest hurricane in recent US history submerged about 80 per cent of New Orleans after the city's levee system failed, causing about 1,800 deaths and more than $150 billion in damage.&nbsp;

Barry weakened further on Sunday as the storm churned across the US state of Louisiana, bringing along heavy rains and the possibility of flooding and tornadoes.

Barry weakened further on Sunday as the storm churned across the US state of Louisiana, bringing along heavy rains and the possibility of flooding and tornadoes. There have been no reported deaths so far in Louisiana or neighbouring states from Barry, which had briefly become the first hurricane of the Atlantic season before the National Hurricane Center downgraded it to a tropical storm and then a tropical depression. Still, as the storm moved inland on a northern track, it packed a serious punch. Louisianans kept a wary eye on rivers and canals badly swollen by the torrential rainfall, following an extraordinarily wet season farther up the Mississippi River. This is "the wettest year we've had since 1895," Major General Richard Kaiser, who heads the Mississippi River Commission, said on Fox News. He said the broad river is "the highest it's been for a long time" just below flood stage. Bands of heavy rain continued to lash New Orleans, the state's biggest city, but its airport was able to resume normal service after cancelling all flights on Saturday. Fears that the levee system protecting New Orleans could be compromised eased. Mayor LaToya Cantrell, who a day earlier had urged residents not to be complacent, said in a news conference Sunday that "we made it through the storm. We are lucky; we were spared." Dangers remain As of 4:00 pm Sunday (2100 GMT), the storm's maximum sustained winds had dropped to 35 miles (55 kilometres) per hour. It was located north-northeast of Shreveport in western Louisiana, moving towards Arkansas, the National Hurricane Center said. "Further weakening is expected as the centre moves farther inland, and Barry is forecast to degenerate into a remnant low-pressure system by Monday night," the NHC said. US Senator Bill Cassidy said of the storm on Fox News: "We have seen worse." Evacuation orders had already been lifted in several locales including Plaquemines Parish, south of New Orleans, where up to 10,000 residents had been under orders to leave. But on Sunday, National Guard members were still laying down sand-filled barriers in a bid to contain flooding after "severely high water" overtopped levees in the Plaquemines town of Myrtle Grove, according to parish information officer Jade Duplessis. Pete Gaynor, the acting administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, told Fox that "there are still life-threatening conditions." "The rain is the threat," he added, noting that floodwaters farther up the engorged Mississippi will be moving south in the coming days. Many coastal areas remained on alert. Tornadoes were possible in parts of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas, and Tennessee, the NHC said. Rainfall estimates lowered further to between three and five inches (8 to 13 centimetres) over south-central Louisiana but rivers and canals are already near capacity. Across southern Louisiana, Barry's heavy winds scattered tree branches and knocked down power lines, leaving an estimated hundred thousand people without electricity. Reporters saw localized flooding and badly swollen waterways. Memories of Katrina The eye of the storm made landfall Saturday at tiny Intracoastal City. Rivers overtopped their levees in several locations, including part of coastal Terrebonne Parish. The Atchafalaya River swallowed a waterfront pedestrian promenade in Morgan City. For many, the storm revived unpleasant memories of Hurricane Katrina. While thousands of Louisianans fled for safety as the storm approached, others hunkered down to ride it out, sometimes defying mandatory evacuation orders. On the huge Lake Pontchartrain's southern shore in northern New Orleans, 72-year-old retired postal worker Mike Pisciotta shrugged off Barry's local effects as he stood on the lake's level. "It hasn't been anything," he said while acknowledging that other areas were harder hit. "I guess we are lucky." On Pontchartrain's northern edge, 61-year-old Gerard Braud, a communications consultant, said there were five feet (1.5 meters) of water under his elevated lakefront home. "It extended back in some places, five, six, seven blocks from the lake," he said, adding, "Water levels are the biggest threat in a weak storm like this." Not far away, Michael Forbes, 61, a prosecuting attorney, said lake levels were far higher than normal due to the wind blowing water in from the Gulf and Mississippi River water being channelled into the lake to ease flood pressure. "People are used to it, and they're scared of it, too," he said. "Every year it's a worry." In 2005, Katrina the costliest and deadliest hurricane in recent US history submerged about 80 per cent of New Orleans after the city's levee system failed, causing about 1,800 deaths and more than $150 billion in damage.

Barry weakens, but US officials warn of heavy rains, floods, tornadoes

City officials warned New Orleans residents on Friday to secure their homes, stock up on supplies and prepare to huddle indoors with <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/new-orleans-braces-for-flooding-trump-declares-emergency-ahead-of-storm-barry-235308">Tropical Storm Barry</a> poised to make landfall as the first Atlantic hurricane of 2019.

Barry's maximum sustained winds were clocked at 65 miles per hour (100 kph) as it churned through the northern Gulf of Mexico toward Louisiana. Meteorologists warned that torrential rains - as much as 2 feet (60 cm) in some places - are likely to unleash severe flooding.

While New Orleans authorities refrained from ordering evacuations and advised residents to shelter in place instead, tourism officials reported an exodus of hotel guests checking out early on Friday. Some airlines, including British Airways, have cancelled outbound flights from the city through Saturday.

Mandatory evacuations were imposed in flood-prone coastal areas of two neighbouring parishes south of the city.

US President Donald Trump declared a state of emergency for Louisiana, and the region's oil production was scaled back by nearly 60 per cent as energy companies evacuated offshore drilling facilities.

A performance scheduled for Sunday by the Rolling Stones at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, which served as an emergency shelter during the Hurricane Katrina flood catastrophe of 2005, was postponed until Monday.

Watch: Extreme weather: The new norm

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The impending storm was widely seen as a key test of the fortified flood defences put in place following Katrina, which inundated much of the city and killed some 1,800 people.

Barry is expected to cross the coastline southwest of New Orleans on Saturday morning. It is forecast to reach Category-1 hurricane strength by then, with winds of at least 74 mph (119 kph), the National Weather Service said.

Dangerous and life-threatening

The storm's flood potential, rather than its high winds, posed the greatest danger to the low-lying metropolitan landscape of New Orleans, a city virtually surrounded on all sides by rising waters.

"Tropical Storm Barry is a dangerous and life-threatening storm," Weather Service meteorologist Benjamin Schott said at a news conference. "Major to ... record flooding will be possible."

Authorities were keeping a particularly watchful eye on the levee system built to contain the lower Mississippi River, which winds through the heart of New Orleans and was already well above flood stage from months of heavy upstream rainfall over the Midwest.

A coastal storm surge into the mouth of the Mississippi is expected to push its crest to 19 feet (5.79 m) in New Orleans on Saturday, the highest level since 1950 and dangerously close to the top of the city's levees.

The brunt of Barry was expected to skirt the western edge of New Orleans, avoiding a direct hit. But Mayor LaToya Cantrell said 48 hours of heavy downpours could overwhelm pumps designed to purge streets and storm drains of excess water.

"There is no system in the world that can handle that amount of rainfall in such a short period," Cantrell said on Twitter.

New Orleans was already saturated after thunderstorms drenched the city with a foot of rain on Wednesday.

"If it's worse than the other day, it'd be the worst week since Katrina," said musician Robert Harris, 61, polishing his trombone while sitting in a folding chair on a sidewalk.

Floodgates and levees

While street flooding seemed probable, officials from the US Army Corps of Engineers insisted that significant breaching of the 20-foot-tall levees in New Orleans was unlikely.

All levee floodgates were being closed, along with a giant surge barrier erected after Katrina.

The chance of overtopping levees seemed greater farther downstream, where the levee walls are lower.

The level of Lake Pontchartrain, an estuary on the city's northern flank, rose by 3 feet on Friday, triggering the closure of a flood gate on a canal that breached during Katrina, said Derrick Boese, chief administrator for the local flood control agency.

Mandatory evacuation orders were issued for areas of Plaquemines Parish beyond the levees southeast of the city and for low-lying communities in Jefferson Parish, to the southwest.

New Orleans residents planning to ride out the storm flocked to supermarkets for bottled water, ice, snacks and beer, thronging grocery stores in such numbers that some ran out of shopping carts. Throughout the city, motorists left cars parked on the raised median strips of roadways hoping the extra elevation would protect them from flood damage.

City residents were asked to remain indoors after 8 pm on Friday.

Larry Gumpert, the 74-year-old owner of a pest-control company, said he planned to hunker down at home, cooking and catching up on household chores.

"If all the predictions come true, we're going to see major street flooding," Gumpert said. "The Army Corps has spent time, money and energy trying to fortify the city. This is a good test of what they have accomplished since Katrina. We'll see."

City officials warned New Orleans residents on Friday to secure their homes, stock up on supplies and prepare to huddle indoors with Tropical Storm Barry poised to make landfall as the first Atlantic hurricane of 2019.

City officials warned New Orleans residents on Friday to secure their homes, stock up on supplies and prepare to huddle indoors with Tropical Storm Barry poised to make landfall as the first Atlantic hurricane of 2019. Barry's maximum sustained winds were clocked at 65 miles per hour (100 kph) as it churned through the northern Gulf of Mexico toward Louisiana. Meteorologists warned that torrential rains - as much as 2 feet (60 cm) in some places - are likely to unleash severe flooding. While New Orleans authorities refrained from ordering evacuations and advised residents to shelter in place instead, tourism officials reported an exodus of hotel guests checking out early on Friday. Some airlines, including British Airways, have cancelled outbound flights from the city through Saturday. Mandatory evacuations were imposed in flood-prone coastal areas of two neighbouring parishes south of the city. US President Donald Trump declared a state of emergency for Louisiana, and the region's oil production was scaled back by nearly 60 per cent as energy companies evacuated offshore drilling facilities. A performance scheduled for Sunday by the Rolling Stones at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, which served as an emergency shelter during the Hurricane Katrina flood catastrophe of 2005, was postponed until Monday. Watch: Extreme weather: The new norm × The impending storm was widely seen as a key test of the fortified flood defences put in place following Katrina, which inundated much of the city and killed some 1,800 people. Barry is expected to cross the coastline southwest of New Orleans on Saturday morning. It is forecast to reach Category-1 hurricane strength by then, with winds of at least 74 mph (119 kph), the National Weather Service said. Dangerous and life-threatening The storm's flood potential, rather than its high winds, posed the greatest danger to the low-lying metropolitan landscape of New Orleans, a city virtually surrounded on all sides by rising waters. "Tropical Storm Barry is a dangerous and life-threatening storm," Weather Service meteorologist Benjamin Schott said at a news conference. "Major to ... record flooding will be possible." Authorities were keeping a particularly watchful eye on the levee system built to contain the lower Mississippi River, which winds through the heart of New Orleans and was already well above flood stage from months of heavy upstream rainfall over the Midwest. A coastal storm surge into the mouth of the Mississippi is expected to push its crest to 19 feet (5.79 m) in New Orleans on Saturday, the highest level since 1950 and dangerously close to the top of the city's levees. The brunt of Barry was expected to skirt the western edge of New Orleans, avoiding a direct hit. But Mayor LaToya Cantrell said 48 hours of heavy downpours could overwhelm pumps designed to purge streets and storm drains of excess water. "There is no system in the world that can handle that amount of rainfall in such a short period," Cantrell said on Twitter. New Orleans was already saturated after thunderstorms drenched the city with a foot of rain on Wednesday. "If it's worse than the other day, it'd be the worst week since Katrina," said musician Robert Harris, 61, polishing his trombone while sitting in a folding chair on a sidewalk. Floodgates and levees While street flooding seemed probable, officials from the US Army Corps of Engineers insisted that significant breaching of the 20-foot-tall levees in New Orleans was unlikely. All levee floodgates were being closed, along with a giant surge barrier erected after Katrina. The chance of overtopping levees seemed greater farther downstream, where the levee walls are lower. The level of Lake Pontchartrain, an estuary on the city's northern flank, rose by 3 feet on Friday, triggering the closure of a flood gate on a canal that breached during Katrina, said Derrick Boese, chief administrator for the local flood control agency. Mandatory evacuation orders were issued for areas of Plaquemines Parish beyond the levees southeast of the city and for low-lying communities in Jefferson Parish, to the southwest. New Orleans residents planning to ride out the storm flocked to supermarkets for bottled water, ice, snacks and beer, thronging grocery stores in such numbers that some ran out of shopping carts. Throughout the city, motorists left cars parked on the raised median strips of roadways hoping the extra elevation would protect them from flood damage. City residents were asked to remain indoors after 8 pm on Friday. Larry Gumpert, the 74-year-old owner of a pest-control company, said he planned to hunker down at home, cooking and catching up on household chores. "If all the predictions come true, we're going to see major street flooding," Gumpert said. "The Army Corps has spent time, money and energy trying to fortify the city. This is a good test of what they have accomplished since Katrina. We'll see."

'Life-threatening' Tropical Storm Barry grinds toward Louisiana

Nervous New Orleans residents prepared to flee as Tropical Storm Barry closed in on Thursday, with forecasts of "<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/life-threatening-rains-pound-us-capital-white-house-basement-offices-leak-234285">extreme rain</a>" and more flooding ahead of the storm's predicted landfall by early on Saturday as the first Atlantic hurricane of 2019.

Barry coalesced in the Gulf of Mexico on Thursday morning, packing maximum sustained winds of 40 miles per hour (64 kph), a day after heavy showers from the gathering storm drenched New Orleans with nearly a foot (30 cm) of rain, the National Weather Service said.

A tropical <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/six-tourists-killed-by-tornadoes-and-hailstorms-in-greece-234838">storm warning</a> was posted on Thursday afternoon for metropolitan New Orleans, and a hurricane warning for a stretch of the Louisiana coast south of the city.

The weather service later reported winds increasing to 45 mph (72 kph), with higher gusts.

The storm swiftly disrupted oil and gas operations along the Gulf, as energy companies halted production on more than half of the region's petroleum output and evacuated nearly 200 offshore facilities and a coastal refinery.

With the brunt of the storm expected to skirt the western edge of New Orleans instead of making a direct hit, city officials refrained from ordering evacuations, urging residents to secure their property, gather supplies and shelter in place instead.

But some residents, recalling the devastation wreaked in 2005 by Hurricane Katrina, which killed some 1,800 people along the Gulf, decided it was safer to leave. The threat of flooding along the Mississippi River, which winds through the heart of the city, was a major concern.

"It's really the river that has us worried," said Betsey Hazard, who lives with her husband, Jack, and their two young children a block from the Mississippi River. "They say that the river won't flood in New Orleans, but we have a 5-year-old and a 10-month-old, and we don't want to take any chances."

The Hazards said they were leaving town for the neighbouring state of Mississippi.

Others flocked to supermarkets for bottled water, ice, snack foods and beer, thronging grocery outlets in such numbers that some stores ran out of shopping carts.

Throughout the city, motorists left cars parked on the raised median strips of roadways in hopes of giving their vehicles just enough extra elevation to keep them from being damaged by street flooding.

Storm surge

Barry was forecast to bring a coastal storm surge into the mouth of the river, pushing its height to 19 feet (5.9 m) on Saturday, the highest on record since 1950 and dangerously close to the top of the levee system protecting the city.

The Mississippi has been above flood stage for six months. Torrential downpours from the storm would only add to the flow, raising the chance of overtopping levee walls, especially downstream where barriers are lower.

Meteorologists predicted between 10 and 20 inches (25-50 cm) of rain along much of the Gulf Coast on Friday and Saturday.

New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell warned that 48 hours of heavy rain could overwhelm pumps designed to purge streets and storm drains of excess water in the low-lying city.

"We cannot pump our way out of the water levels that are expected to hit the city of New Orleans," Cantrell said. "We need you to understand this."

Pumps already were working at capacity after heavy rains that flooded streets on Wednesday, she said.

"The more information we get, the more concerned we are that this is going to be an extreme rain event," Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards told an afternoon news conference. "If Tropical Storm Barry becomes a hurricane, it would be the first time we've had the hurricane hit the state with rising rivers."

Mandatory evacuation orders were issued for areas of Plaquemines Parish beyond the levees southeast of the city, and for low-lying communities in Jefferson Parish, to the southwest.

High winds were less of immediate concern.

Edwards said he expected the storm to measure a Category 1, the lowest rung on the five-step Saffir-Simpson scale of hurricane wind strength when it comes ashore.

Barry will be classified a hurricane once sustained winds hit 74 mph (119 km), which could occur late on Friday or early on Saturday when its centre will be near the Louisiana shoreline, the National Weather Service said. Weakening is expected after Barry moves inland.

The storm was quick to dampen tourism.

In the normally bustling French Quarter, only a couple of tables were occupied at the popular coffee-and-beignet restaurant Café du Monde.

Kate Clayson of Northampton, England, and her boyfriend, Maxx Lipman, of Nashville, Tennessee, said they arrived on Wednesday for a vacation but were planning to depart on Thursday.

"The woman at our Airbnb said the water came up to the first step of our house yesterday, so we've just decided we’d better get out," Clayson said.

Nervous New Orleans residents prepared to flee as Tropical Storm Barry closed in on Thursday, with forecasts of "extreme rain" and more flooding ahead of the storm's predicted landfall by early on Saturday as the first Atlantic hurricane of 2019.

Nervous New Orleans residents prepared to flee as Tropical Storm Barry closed in on Thursday, with forecasts of "extreme rain" and more flooding ahead of the storm's predicted landfall by early on Saturday as the first Atlantic hurricane of 2019. Barry coalesced in the Gulf of Mexico on Thursday morning, packing maximum sustained winds of 40 miles per hour (64 kph), a day after heavy showers from the gathering storm drenched New Orleans with nearly a foot (30 cm) of rain, the National Weather Service said. A tropical storm warning was posted on Thursday afternoon for metropolitan New Orleans, and a hurricane warning for a stretch of the Louisiana coast south of the city. The weather service later reported winds increasing to 45 mph (72 kph), with higher gusts. The storm swiftly disrupted oil and gas operations along the Gulf, as energy companies halted production on more than half of the region's petroleum output and evacuated nearly 200 offshore facilities and a coastal refinery. With the brunt of the storm expected to skirt the western edge of New Orleans instead of making a direct hit, city officials refrained from ordering evacuations, urging residents to secure their property, gather supplies and shelter in place instead. But some residents, recalling the devastation wreaked in 2005 by Hurricane Katrina, which killed some 1,800 people along the Gulf, decided it was safer to leave. The threat of flooding along the Mississippi River, which winds through the heart of the city, was a major concern. "It's really the river that has us worried," said Betsey Hazard, who lives with her husband, Jack, and their two young children a block from the Mississippi River. "They say that the river won't flood in New Orleans, but we have a 5-year-old and a 10-month-old, and we don't want to take any chances." The Hazards said they were leaving town for the neighbouring state of Mississippi. Others flocked to supermarkets for bottled water, ice, snack foods and beer, thronging grocery outlets in such numbers that some stores ran out of shopping carts. Throughout the city, motorists left cars parked on the raised median strips of roadways in hopes of giving their vehicles just enough extra elevation to keep them from being damaged by street flooding. Storm surge Barry was forecast to bring a coastal storm surge into the mouth of the river, pushing its height to 19 feet (5.9 m) on Saturday, the highest on record since 1950 and dangerously close to the top of the levee system protecting the city. The Mississippi has been above flood stage for six months. Torrential downpours from the storm would only add to the flow, raising the chance of overtopping levee walls, especially downstream where barriers are lower. Meteorologists predicted between 10 and 20 inches (25-50 cm) of rain along much of the Gulf Coast on Friday and Saturday. New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell warned that 48 hours of heavy rain could overwhelm pumps designed to purge streets and storm drains of excess water in the low-lying city. "We cannot pump our way out of the water levels that are expected to hit the city of New Orleans," Cantrell said. "We need you to understand this." Pumps already were working at capacity after heavy rains that flooded streets on Wednesday, she said. "The more information we get, the more concerned we are that this is going to be an extreme rain event," Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards told an afternoon news conference. "If Tropical Storm Barry becomes a hurricane, it would be the first time we've had the hurricane hit the state with rising rivers." Mandatory evacuation orders were issued for areas of Plaquemines Parish beyond the levees southeast of the city, and for low-lying communities in Jefferson Parish, to the southwest. High winds were less of immediate concern. Edwards said he expected the storm to measure a Category 1, the lowest rung on the five-step Saffir-Simpson scale of hurricane wind strength when it comes ashore. Barry will be classified a hurricane once sustained winds hit 74 mph (119 km), which could occur late on Friday or early on Saturday when its centre will be near the Louisiana shoreline, the National Weather Service said. Weakening is expected after Barry moves inland. The storm was quick to dampen tourism. In the normally bustling French Quarter, only a couple of tables were occupied at the popular coffee-and-beignet restaurant Café du Monde. Kate Clayson of Northampton, England, and her boyfriend, Maxx Lipman, of Nashville, Tennessee, said they arrived on Wednesday for a vacation but were planning to depart on Thursday. "The woman at our Airbnb said the water came up to the first step of our house yesterday, so we've just decided we’d better get out," Clayson said.

Tropical Storm Barry nears New Orleans, raising flood threat

New Orleans braced for severe flooding with residents told to hunker down as a growing tropical storm in the US-Gulf of Mexico headed for landfall late on Friday or early on Saturday as the first Atlantic hurricane of 2019.

US&nbsp;President Donald Trump declared a state of emergency for the state of Louisiana late on Thursday, hours after the region's oil production was cut by half as energy companies evacuated offshore drilling facilities and a coastal refinery.

Tropical Storm Barry was packing maximum sustained winds of 50 miles per hour (85 km/hour) early on Friday.

Authorities were keeping a watchful eye on the levee system built to contain flooding along the lower Mississippi River, which winds through the heart of New Orleans and has been running above flood stage for the past six months.

Barry was forecast to bring a coastal storm surge into the mouth of the river that could push its crest to 19 feet (5.9 m) on Saturday - a foot lower than initially predicted but still the highest level since 1950 and dangerously close to the top of the city's levees.

Meteorologists predicted between 10 and 20 inches (25-50 cm) of rain along much of the Gulf Coast on Friday and Saturday.

The brunt of the storm was expected to skirt the western edge of New Orleans instead of making a direct hit. New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell said that the city had not ordered any voluntary or mandatory evacuations, but added that 48 hours of heavy downpours could overwhelm pumps designed to purge streets and storm drains of excess water in the low-lying city.

Pumps were already working at capacity after heavy rains flooded streets on Wednesday, she said.

Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards warned: "The more information we get, the more concerned we are that this is going to be an extreme rain event."

Officials for the US&nbsp;Army Corps of Engineers, which maintains the levees, insisted no significant breaching of the 20-foot-tall levees in New Orleans was likely.

Some residents, recalling the deadly, devastating floods unleashed in 2005 by Hurricane Katrina, said they were determined to get out of harm's way.

"It's really the river that has us worried," said Betsey Hazard, who lives with her husband, Jack, and their two young children a block from the Mississippi River. She said the family was packing up and heading for the neighboring state of Mississippi to ride out the storm.

"They say that the river won't flood in New Orleans, but we have a 5-year-old and a 10-month-old, and we don't want to take any chances."

Others flocked to supermarkets for bottled water, ice, snack foods and beer, thronging grocery outlets in such numbers that some stores ran out of shopping carts.

Throughout the city, motorists left cars parked on the raised median strips of roadways in hopes the extra elevation would protect them from flood damage.

A tropical storm warning was posted on Thursday afternoon for metropolitan New Orleans, and a hurricane warning for a stretch of the Louisiana coast south of the city.

Mandatory evacuation orders were issued for areas of Plaquemines Parish beyond the levees southeast of the city, and for low-lying communities in Jefferson Parish, to the southwest.

Barry will be classified a hurricane once sustained winds hit 74 mph (119 km), which could occur late on Friday or early on Saturday when its center is expected to be near the Louisiana shoreline, the National Weather Service said. Weakening is expected after Barry moves inland.

New Orleans braced for severe flooding with residents told to hunker down as a growing tropical storm in the US-Gulf of Mexico headed for landfall late on Friday or early on Saturday as the first Atlantic hurricane of 2019.

New Orleans braced for severe flooding with residents told to hunker down as a growing tropical storm in the US-Gulf of Mexico headed for landfall late on Friday or early on Saturday as the first Atlantic hurricane of 2019. US President Donald Trump declared a state of emergency for the state of Louisiana late on Thursday, hours after the region's oil production was cut by half as energy companies evacuated offshore drilling facilities and a coastal refinery. Tropical Storm Barry was packing maximum sustained winds of 50 miles per hour (85 km/hour) early on Friday. Authorities were keeping a watchful eye on the levee system built to contain flooding along the lower Mississippi River, which winds through the heart of New Orleans and has been running above flood stage for the past six months. Barry was forecast to bring a coastal storm surge into the mouth of the river that could push its crest to 19 feet (5.9 m) on Saturday - a foot lower than initially predicted but still the highest level since 1950 and dangerously close to the top of the city's levees. Meteorologists predicted between 10 and 20 inches (25-50 cm) of rain along much of the Gulf Coast on Friday and Saturday. The brunt of the storm was expected to skirt the western edge of New Orleans instead of making a direct hit. New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell said that the city had not ordered any voluntary or mandatory evacuations, but added that 48 hours of heavy downpours could overwhelm pumps designed to purge streets and storm drains of excess water in the low-lying city. Pumps were already working at capacity after heavy rains flooded streets on Wednesday, she said. Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards warned: "The more information we get, the more concerned we are that this is going to be an extreme rain event." Officials for the US Army Corps of Engineers, which maintains the levees, insisted no significant breaching of the 20-foot-tall levees in New Orleans was likely. Some residents, recalling the deadly, devastating floods unleashed in 2005 by Hurricane Katrina, said they were determined to get out of harm's way. "It's really the river that has us worried," said Betsey Hazard, who lives with her husband, Jack, and their two young children a block from the Mississippi River. She said the family was packing up and heading for the neighboring state of Mississippi to ride out the storm. "They say that the river won't flood in New Orleans, but we have a 5-year-old and a 10-month-old, and we don't want to take any chances." Others flocked to supermarkets for bottled water, ice, snack foods and beer, thronging grocery outlets in such numbers that some stores ran out of shopping carts. Throughout the city, motorists left cars parked on the raised median strips of roadways in hopes the extra elevation would protect them from flood damage. A tropical storm warning was posted on Thursday afternoon for metropolitan New Orleans, and a hurricane warning for a stretch of the Louisiana coast south of the city. Mandatory evacuation orders were issued for areas of Plaquemines Parish beyond the levees southeast of the city, and for low-lying communities in Jefferson Parish, to the southwest. Barry will be classified a hurricane once sustained winds hit 74 mph (119 km), which could occur late on Friday or early on Saturday when its center is expected to be near the Louisiana shoreline, the National Weather Service said. Weakening is expected after Barry moves inland.

New Orleans braces for flooding, Trump declares emergency ahead of Storm Barry

New Orleans was hit with widespread flooding on Wednesday from heavy rain spawned from a weather system that forecasters warned could grow into a hurricane capable of causing severe inundation of the low-lying US city.

The weather system churning in the Gulf of Mexico is expected to intensify this week into the second named tropical storm of the year, and ultimately the first Atlantic hurricane of 2019 as it heads closer to land, forecasters said.

New Orleans officials warned that a hurricane could bring a coastal storm surge into the mouth of the Mississippi River capable of raising the river's height to 20 feet (6 meters) above sea level, high enough to overflow some sections of the levee system protecting the city.

The storm is most likely to make landfall west of New Orleans on Saturday, National Weather Service senior hurricane specialist Jack Beven said.

Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards declared a statewide emergency on Wednesday. "No one should take this storm lightly," he told a news conference.

The Mississippi River was already high from previous rains upriver, Edwards said.

New Orleans has been battered by devastating storms before, including 2005's Hurricane Katrina, which left most of Louisiana's largest city underwater, killed hundreds of residents and displaced 130,000 people.

The city was hit early Wednesday by thunderstorms that meteorologists said were associated with the building Gulf storm. A water spout, a weather phenomenon that resembles a tornado, formed over Lake Pontchartrain near New Orleans, and the Weather Service issued a tornado warning.

City Hall was closed, and many New Orleans streets were flooded after parts of the city received more than 8 inches (20 cm) of rain.

The Gulf weather system is likely to develop at the least into a tropical storm, which would be named Tropical Storm Barry, Beven said.

"The forecast has it becoming a hurricane, but there's a possibility that it might not also," Beven said by phone from the National Hurricane Center in Miami.

Oil and gas companies scaled back production and evacuated some offshore oil platforms as the storm approached.

Southeastern Louisiana was expected to be drenched by 4 to 6 inches (10 to 15 cm) of rain by week's end, with some areas receiving up to 18 inches (46 cm), Beven said.

New Orleans officials advised residents to stock up on drinking water, non-perishable food and other emergency supplies.

Officials in Plaquemines Parish, south of New Orleans, ordered residents in some areas to plan to evacuate their homes on Thursday ahead of the storm.

And west of New Orleans, officials in Vermilion Parish advised some residents in low-lying areas and people living in mobile homes to consider moving to higher ground.

New Orleans was hit with widespread flooding on Wednesday from heavy rain spawned from a weather system that forecasters warned could grow into a hurricane capable of causing severe inundation of the low-lying US city.

New Orleans was hit with widespread flooding on Wednesday from heavy rain spawned from a weather system that forecasters warned could grow into a hurricane capable of causing severe inundation of the low-lying US city. The weather system churning in the Gulf of Mexico is expected to intensify this week into the second named tropical storm of the year, and ultimately the first Atlantic hurricane of 2019 as it heads closer to land, forecasters said. New Orleans officials warned that a hurricane could bring a coastal storm surge into the mouth of the Mississippi River capable of raising the river's height to 20 feet (6 meters) above sea level, high enough to overflow some sections of the levee system protecting the city. The storm is most likely to make landfall west of New Orleans on Saturday, National Weather Service senior hurricane specialist Jack Beven said. Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards declared a statewide emergency on Wednesday. "No one should take this storm lightly," he told a news conference. The Mississippi River was already high from previous rains upriver, Edwards said. New Orleans has been battered by devastating storms before, including 2005's Hurricane Katrina, which left most of Louisiana's largest city underwater, killed hundreds of residents and displaced 130,000 people. The city was hit early Wednesday by thunderstorms that meteorologists said were associated with the building Gulf storm. A water spout, a weather phenomenon that resembles a tornado, formed over Lake Pontchartrain near New Orleans, and the Weather Service issued a tornado warning. City Hall was closed, and many New Orleans streets were flooded after parts of the city received more than 8 inches (20 cm) of rain. The Gulf weather system is likely to develop at the least into a tropical storm, which would be named Tropical Storm Barry, Beven said. "The forecast has it becoming a hurricane, but there's a possibility that it might not also," Beven said by phone from the National Hurricane Center in Miami. Oil and gas companies scaled back production and evacuated some offshore oil platforms as the storm approached. Southeastern Louisiana was expected to be drenched by 4 to 6 inches (10 to 15 cm) of rain by week's end, with some areas receiving up to 18 inches (46 cm), Beven said. New Orleans officials advised residents to stock up on drinking water, non-perishable food and other emergency supplies. Officials in Plaquemines Parish, south of New Orleans, ordered residents in some areas to plan to evacuate their homes on Thursday ahead of the storm. And west of New Orleans, officials in Vermilion Parish advised some residents in low-lying areas and people living in mobile homes to consider moving to higher ground.

Heavy rains flood New Orleans streets; forecasters predict hurricane