The National Hurricane Center expects Hurricane Delta to make landfall between Lake Charles and Lafayette Friday evening.
Forecasters say that the size of the system means the New Orleans area could feel tropical storm force winds.
A Hurricane Warning stretches from the Texas/Louisiana state line to Morgan City, Louisiana.
Tropical Storm Warnings are on either side of that, include the New Orleans area and the coast of East Texas.
A Hurricane Warning means that hurricane conditions are expected somewhere within the warning area, typically within 36 hours.
A Tropical Storm Warning means that tropical storm conditions, winds of 39 miles per hour or greater, are expected somewhere within the warning area.
"On the forecast track, the center of Delta will move over the southern and central Gulf of Mexico through Thursday," the Hurricane Center advised. "Delta is forecast to move inland within the hurricane warning area by late Friday or Friday night."
Maximum sustained winds as of 10:00pm were near 90 mph.
"Strengthening is forecast while the hurricane moves over the southern and central Gulf of Mexico through Thursday, and Delta is expected to become a major hurricane again."
The forecast calls for winds to intensify to 120 mph.
"Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 35 miles from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 140 miles."
Forecasters anticipate winds, rain and surge.
STORM SURGE: The water could reach the following heights above ground somewhere in the indicated areas if the peak surge occurs at the time of high tide...
Pecan Island to Port Fourchon, LA including Vermilion Bay...7-11 ft
Cameron, LA to Pecan Island, LA...4-7 ft
Port Fourchon, LA to the Mouth of the Mississippi River...4-6 ft
Mouth of the Mississippi River to Ocean Springs, MS...3-5 ft
Lake Borgne, Lake Pontchartrain, and Lake Maurepas...3-5 ft
Ocean Springs, MS to MS/AL border...2-4 ft
High Island, TX to Cameron, LA including Calcasieu Lake...2-4 ft
MS/AL border to the AL/FL border including Mobile Bay...1-3 ft
Sabine Lake...1-3 ft
Port O'Connor, TX to High Island, TX including Galveston Bay...1-3 ft
WIND: Hurricane conditions are expected within the hurricane warning area by Friday evening, with tropical storm conditions expected within this area earlier on Friday. Tropical storm conditions are expected within the tropical storm warning areas on Friday.
RAINFALL: Friday through Saturday, Delta is expected to produce 4 to 8 inches of rain, with isolated maximum totals of 12 inches across portions of the central Gulf Coast north into portions of the Lower to Middle Mississippi Valley. These rainfall amounts will lead to flash, urban, small stream and minor to isolated moderate river flooding. The New Orleans area is forecast to get one to two inches of rain.
TORNADOES: The risk of a few tornadoes will increase late Thursday night into Friday over portions of southern Louisiana, southern Mississippi, and southwest Alabama.