At 7pm The National Weather Service reports that Tropical Storm Barry is 85 miles south southeast of Morgan City with maximum sustained winds of 65 mph. He has been meandering a bit in the past few hours. But the storm is expected to resume a motion toward the west-northwest near 4 mph. The storm is then expected to turn towards the north Saturday or Sunday. The center of Barry will approach the south-central coast of Louisiana tonight and then make landfall over the south-central Louisiana coast on Saturday. Strengthening is forecast before landfall, and Barry is expected to be a hurricane when the center reaches the coast tomorrow.
Several feet of storm surge is predicted along the coast, but State Climatologist Barry Keim says the biggest concern is the 10-20 inches of rain that will fall across south Louisiana, particularly on the east side of the track.
Governor John Bel Edwards says Louisiana residents need to be ready for a major rain event as Tropical Storm Barry approaches Louisiana’s coastline. Edwards says the National Hurricane Center predicts 10 to 20 inches over south-central and southeast Louisiana, with isolated maximum amounts of up to 25 inches
A federal declaration of emergency has been granted for the state as Tropical Storm Barry approaches. Congressman Garret Graves says with an imminent disaster, there are many uncertainties and it is vital for government officials and residents to be over prepared.
Cut 15 (08) “…to under prepare.”