Barry rolled into the Louisiana coast Saturday, flooding highways, forcing people to scramble to rooftops and dumping heavy rain that could test the levees and pumps that were bolstered after Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans in 2005.

Barry makes landfall in Louisiana, weakening slightly to a tropical storm

New Orleans officials warned city residents to stock up on supplies and prepare to shelter in their homes on Friday (July 12) as "life-threatening" Tropical Storm Barry was poised to come ashore as possibly the first Atlantic hurricane of 2019. While the storm did not yet have hurricane-force winds, it was forecast to bring torrential rains of up to 25 inches (64 cm) in certain places, which officials said risked flooding along the already-swollen lower Mississippi River.

'Life-threatening' Tropical Storm Barry heads towards New Orleans

Tropical <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/world/life-threatening-tropical-storm-barry-grinds-toward-louisiana-235408&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjqt4CY5bHjAhUKO3AKHTmWCuYQFjADegQIDhAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw3enmOBvnyahBlPshYI5VEE">Storm Barry</a>, poised to make landfall as the first Atlantic hurricane of 2019, churned ever closer to Louisiana's shore early on Saturday as most New Orleans residents huddled at home, or in bars, bracing for the threat of severe flooding.

Authorities urged citizens to secure property, stock up provisions and shelter in place. However, some nervous residents opted to flee the city, and tourism officials reported an abrupt exodus of out-of-town visitors on Friday.

Mandatory evacuations were ordered in outlying coastal areas beyond the protection of levees in neighbouring Plaquemines and Jefferson parishes south of the city.

The storm, packing maximum sustained winds of 65 miles per hour (100 kph), was on track to reach hurricane strength shortly before crossing the Louisiana coastline southwest of New Orleans on Saturday, the National Weather Service said.

Landfall predictions were pushed back from sunrise to late morning or early afternoon, as the storm crawled across the Gulf Coast at about 3 mph, forecasters with the National Hurricane Center said early Saturday.

Rain bands were already hitting the coast before sunrise, and more than 56,000 homes and businesses in Louisiana were without power, according to tracking site PowerOutage.us.

Meteorologists warned that torrential rain - as much as 2 feet (60 cm) in some places - could unleash severe flooding as the storm moves inland from the Gulf of Mexico, where oil and gas operations have already cut production by nearly 60 per cent.

<a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/world/new-orleans-braces-for-flooding-trump-declares-emergency-ahead-of-storm-barry-235308&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwiJkMm_5bHjAhXLdXAKHZ-LCuwQFjAFegQIChAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw1wf734-7VGa_HjR097sZt5">US President Donald Trump declared a state of emergency for Louisiana</a> on Friday, freeing up federal disaster assistance if needed.

The impending storm could test beefed-up flood defences put in place since the 2005 calamity of Hurricane Katrina, which left much of New Orleans underwater and killed about 1,800 people.

Too much water

The brunt of Barry's force was expected to skirt the western edge of New Orleans, avoiding a direct hit on a low-lying city virtually surrounded on all sides by rising waters.

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.

Authorities were paying especially close attention to the levee system built to contain the lower Mississippi River, which winds through the heart of New Orleans and was already above flood stage from months of heavy upstream rainfall over the Midwest.

A coastal storm surge into the mouth of the Mississippi was 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.

New Orleans was already saturated after thunderstorms drenched it with a foot of rain on Wednesday.

While street flooding seemed probable, the US&nbsp;Army Corps of Engineers insisted that significant breaching of the 20-foot-tall levees in New Orleans was unlikely.

Levee floodgates normally left open to allow passage of traffic were being closed, along with a giant ocean surge barrier erected after Katrina.

The level of Lake Pontchartrain, an estuary on the city's northern flank, rose by 3 feet on Friday, triggering the closure of a floodgate on a drainage canal that breached during Katrina, officials said.

Ahead of the storm, New Orleans residents flocked to supermarkets for bottled water, ice, snacks and beer, thronging grocery stores in such numbers that some ran out of shopping carts.

Across the city, motorists left cars parked on the raised median strips of roadways, hoping the extra elevation would protect them from flood damage. Sandbags were stacked outside of hotels, shops and other businesses along Canal Street.

The sheriff's office said dozens of jail inmates held on minor charges were released to make room for nearly 70 inmates transferred from a temporary lockup to the main detention facility, which was built to withstand a major hurricane.

City residents were asked to remain indoors after 8 p.m. but some, in keeping with New Orleans' party spirit, decided to hunker down in more festive surroundings.

"The rain's not going to shut us down, we're going to shut this place down," said Brett Tidball, 33, who gathered with eight friends at Bourbon Street bar for his bachelor party, asking the pianist for back-to-back songs about bad weather.

Prince's "Purple Rain" echoed down the street.

Tropical Storm Barry, poised to make landfall as the first Atlantic hurricane of 2019, churned ever closer to Louisiana's shore early on Saturday as most New Orleans residents huddled at home, or in bars, bracing for the threat of severe flooding.

Tropical Storm Barry, poised to make landfall as the first Atlantic hurricane of 2019, churned ever closer to Louisiana's shore early on Saturday as most New Orleans residents huddled at home, or in bars, bracing for the threat of severe flooding. Authorities urged citizens to secure property, stock up provisions and shelter in place. However, some nervous residents opted to flee the city, and tourism officials reported an abrupt exodus of out-of-town visitors on Friday. Mandatory evacuations were ordered in outlying coastal areas beyond the protection of levees in neighbouring Plaquemines and Jefferson parishes south of the city. The storm, packing maximum sustained winds of 65 miles per hour (100 kph), was on track to reach hurricane strength shortly before crossing the Louisiana coastline southwest of New Orleans on Saturday, the National Weather Service said. Landfall predictions were pushed back from sunrise to late morning or early afternoon, as the storm crawled across the Gulf Coast at about 3 mph, forecasters with the National Hurricane Center said early Saturday. Rain bands were already hitting the coast before sunrise, and more than 56,000 homes and businesses in Louisiana were without power, according to tracking site PowerOutage.us. Meteorologists warned that torrential rain - as much as 2 feet (60 cm) in some places - could unleash severe flooding as the storm moves inland from the Gulf of Mexico, where oil and gas operations have already cut production by nearly 60 per cent. US President Donald Trump declared a state of emergency for Louisiana on Friday, freeing up federal disaster assistance if needed. The impending storm could test beefed-up flood defences put in place since the 2005 calamity of Hurricane Katrina, which left much of New Orleans underwater and killed about 1,800 people. Too much water The brunt of Barry's force was expected to skirt the western edge of New Orleans, avoiding a direct hit on a low-lying city virtually surrounded on all sides by rising waters. 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. Authorities were paying especially close attention to the levee system built to contain the lower Mississippi River, which winds through the heart of New Orleans and was already above flood stage from months of heavy upstream rainfall over the Midwest. A coastal storm surge into the mouth of the Mississippi was 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. New Orleans was already saturated after thunderstorms drenched it with a foot of rain on Wednesday. While street flooding seemed probable, the US Army Corps of Engineers insisted that significant breaching of the 20-foot-tall levees in New Orleans was unlikely. Levee floodgates normally left open to allow passage of traffic were being closed, along with a giant ocean surge barrier erected after Katrina. The level of Lake Pontchartrain, an estuary on the city's northern flank, rose by 3 feet on Friday, triggering the closure of a floodgate on a drainage canal that breached during Katrina, officials said. Ahead of the storm, New Orleans residents flocked to supermarkets for bottled water, ice, snacks and beer, thronging grocery stores in such numbers that some ran out of shopping carts. Across the city, motorists left cars parked on the raised median strips of roadways, hoping the extra elevation would protect them from flood damage. Sandbags were stacked outside of hotels, shops and other businesses along Canal Street. The sheriff's office said dozens of jail inmates held on minor charges were released to make room for nearly 70 inmates transferred from a temporary lockup to the main detention facility, which was built to withstand a major hurricane. City residents were asked to remain indoors after 8 p.m. but some, in keeping with New Orleans' party spirit, decided to hunker down in more festive surroundings. "The rain's not going to shut us down, we're going to shut this place down," said Brett Tidball, 33, who gathered with eight friends at Bourbon Street bar for his bachelor party, asking the pianist for back-to-back songs about bad weather. Prince's "Purple Rain" echoed down the street.

New Orleans residents huddle at home, and in bars, ahead of hurricane

As government officials set up emergency centers and warned New Orleans residents on Friday (July 12) to prepare to huddle indoors, Tropical Storm Barry was poised to make landfall as the first Atlantic hurricane of 2019.

New Orleans prepares for 'life-threatening' Tropical Storm Barry as it grinds to landfall

Some residents and visitors prepared to flee New Orleans on Thursday as Tropical Storm Barry closed in and officials warned of "extreme rainfall" and flooding if the storm makes landfall by early Saturday as the first Atlantic hurricane of 2019.

Storm Barry bears down on New Orleans with 'extreme rainfall,' flooding risk

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

Tropical <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/oil-prices-rise-over-storm-barry-middle-east-tensions-235170">storm Barry</a> could strengthen into a hurricane by Friday night or early Saturday when the centre is near the coast of Louisiana, the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/united-states-attorney-general-william-barr-recuses-himself-from-boeing-737-max-probe-justice-department-235216">US</a> National Hurricane Center (NHC) said.

The storm, about 140 miles (220 km) southeast of Morgan City, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/heavy-rains-flood-new-orleans-streets-forecasters-predict-hurricane-234833">Louisiana</a>, is packing maximum sustained winds of 50 miles per hour (85 km per hour), the NHC said.

"Dangerous storm surge, heavy rains, and wind conditions are expected across the north-central Gulf Coast," the Miami-based weather forecaster added.

Meteorologists predicted between 10 and 20 inches (25-50 cm) of rain along much of the Gulf Coast on Friday and Saturday.

Watch Video:

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/storm-barry-bears-down-on-new-orleans-with-extreme-rainfall-flooding-risk-235208/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

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.

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 ordered evacuations.

Tropical storm Barry could strengthen into a hurricane by Friday night or early Saturday when the centre is near the coast of Louisiana, the US National Hurricane Center (NHC) said.

Tropical storm Barry could strengthen into a hurricane by Friday night or early Saturday when the centre is near the coast of Louisiana, the US National Hurricane Center (NHC) said. The storm, about 140 miles (220 km) southeast of Morgan City, Louisiana, is packing maximum sustained winds of 50 miles per hour (85 km per hour), the NHC said. "Dangerous storm surge, heavy rains, and wind conditions are expected across the north-central Gulf Coast," the Miami-based weather forecaster added. Meteorologists predicted between 10 and 20 inches (25-50 cm) of rain along much of the Gulf Coast on Friday and Saturday. Watch Video: 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. 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 ordered evacuations.

Tropical Storm Barry to hit Louisiana may develop into hurricane: US weather forecaster

A potential tropical storm brewing in the Gulf of Mexico presents twin troubles for parts of south-east Louisiana: the possibility that a high Mississippi River will be lapping at the tops of levees this weekend and a danger of flash floods like the one that hit New Orleans on Wednesday.

Today Tonight: Louisiana storm brings twin threat of rising river and flash floods

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

A storm churning in the Gulf of Mexico and aimed at water-logged <a href="New Orleans">New Orleans is likely to make landfall as the first Atlantic hurricane</a> of the 2019 season by late Friday or early Saturday, forecasters said.

The storm, expected to be designated a tropical storm early on Thursday, is set to deposit between 10 to 15 inches of rain on the Gulf Coast on Friday and Saturday from West Texas, through New Orleans and the Louisiana coast.

Isolated spots will receive a drenching 20 inches of rain,

"The whole area is in for a soaking, the worst of it on Saturday," said David Roth, a meteorologist from the National Weather Service's Weather Prediction Center.

Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards declared a state of emergency on Wednesday.

"The storm system will likely produce storm surge, hurricane-force winds," he said at a news conference. "No one should take this storm lightly."

National Guard troops were in place across the state, the governor said.

US oil producers on Wednesday cut nearly a third of Gulf of Mexico crude output ahead of the storm.

Fifteen production platforms and four rigs were evacuated in the north-central Gulf of Mexico, according to a US regulator as oil firms moved workers to safety.

The slow-moving storm, crawling at about 9 mph early on Thursday and gaining strength from warm Gulf waters, will be named Barry if it strengthens into a tropical storm with winds of 39 mph or more on the Saffir–Simpson hurricane scale.

It will become Hurricane Barry if it reaches wind speeds of 74 mph (119 km) as expected when it makes landfall near the mouth of the Mississippi River and just west of New Orleans.

But the storm remained a tropical disturbance early on Thursday about 125 miles (200 km) south-southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi River, and packed sustained winds of 30 mph (45 km), the National Hurricane Center said.

New Orleans was already hit with widespread flooding on Wednesday from heavy rain spawned from a weather system that might inundate the low-lying US city.

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 city was hit early Wednesday by thunderstorms that meteorologists said were associated with the building Gulf storm.

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.

A storm churning in the Gulf of Mexico and aimed at water-logged New Orleans is likely to make landfall as the first Atlantic hurricane of the 2019 season by late Friday or early Saturday, forecasters said.

A storm churning in the Gulf of Mexico and aimed at water-logged New Orleans is likely to make landfall as the first Atlantic hurricane of the 2019 season by late Friday or early Saturday, forecasters said. The storm, expected to be designated a tropical storm early on Thursday, is set to deposit between 10 to 15 inches of rain on the Gulf Coast on Friday and Saturday from West Texas, through New Orleans and the Louisiana coast. Isolated spots will receive a drenching 20 inches of rain, "The whole area is in for a soaking, the worst of it on Saturday," said David Roth, a meteorologist from the National Weather Service's Weather Prediction Center. Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards declared a state of emergency on Wednesday. "The storm system will likely produce storm surge, hurricane-force winds," he said at a news conference. "No one should take this storm lightly." National Guard troops were in place across the state, the governor said. US oil producers on Wednesday cut nearly a third of Gulf of Mexico crude output ahead of the storm. Fifteen production platforms and four rigs were evacuated in the north-central Gulf of Mexico, according to a US regulator as oil firms moved workers to safety. The slow-moving storm, crawling at about 9 mph early on Thursday and gaining strength from warm Gulf waters, will be named Barry if it strengthens into a tropical storm with winds of 39 mph or more on the Saffir–Simpson hurricane scale. It will become Hurricane Barry if it reaches wind speeds of 74 mph (119 km) as expected when it makes landfall near the mouth of the Mississippi River and just west of New Orleans. But the storm remained a tropical disturbance early on Thursday about 125 miles (200 km) south-southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi River, and packed sustained winds of 30 mph (45 km), the National Hurricane Center said. New Orleans was already hit with widespread flooding on Wednesday from heavy rain spawned from a weather system that might inundate the low-lying US city. 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 city was hit early Wednesday by thunderstorms that meteorologists said were associated with the building Gulf storm. 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.

Storm likely to churn into hurricane, looms on United States Gulf coast

Authorities in Louisiana and Mississippi rescued people from their homes after heavy rains this weekend caused major flooding in the region.

Heavy rains in southern US leave some trapped

new-orleans-0

New Orleans, News on New Orleans, stories on New Orleans, articles on New Orleans, New Orleans stories at Wion, New Orleans news, New Orleans latest news

new orleans-0