The National Hurricane Center says Tropical Storm Barry has started to head for the Louisiana coastline.
"Data from an Air Force Reserve reconnaissance aircraft, a few hours ago, indicate that the maximum sustained winds remain near 50 mph with higher gusts," according to the NHC advisory. "Some strengthening is expected during the next day or so, and Barry could become a hurricane tonight or early Saturday when the center is near the Louisianacoast."
Landfall is now forecast to be south of Lafayette early Saturday morning.
Winds around New Orleans this morning were 15 to 25 miles per hour with higher gusts. Along the coast, some gusts were clocked around 40 mph around 4:00am.
Federal forecasters say the system has started to make the turn toward the coast, so Barry should come ashore a little earlier that previously forecast.
Landfall now is expected shortly after 1:00am.
"Barry is moving toward the west-northwest near 5 mph. A track toward the northwest is expected to begin later today, followed by a turn toward the north on Saturday."
On this track, Baton Rouge and New Orleans are on the east side of the storm. This is traditionally the "wet side" of a hurricane. If Barry gets better organized, that could be huge rainfall totals for Baton Rouge and New Orleans.
RAINFALL: Barry is expected to produce total rain accumulations of 10 to 20 inches over southeast Louisiana and southwest Mississippi, with isolated maximum amounts of 25 inches. These rains are expected to lead to dangerous, life-threatening flooding over portions of the central Gulf Coast into the Lower Mississippi Valley. Over the remainder of the Lower Mississippi Valley, total rain accumulations of 4 to 8 inches are expected, with isolated maximum amounts of 12 inches.
STORM SURGE: The combination of a dangerous storm surge and the tide will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded by rising waters moving inland from the shoreline. 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...
Mouth of the Atchafalaya River to Shell Beach...3 to 6 ftShell Beach to the Mississippi/Alabama border...2 to 4 ftIntracoastal City to the Mouth of the Atchafalaya River...3 to 5 ftLake Pontchartrain...2 to 4 ft
WIND: Hurricane conditions are expected in the Hurricane Warning area tonight or Saturday morning, with tropical storm conditions expected to begin later today. Hurricane conditions are possible within the Hurricane Watch area by tonight or Saturday morning. Tropical Storm conditions are expected to spread across the Tropical Storm Warning area starting early today, with tropical storm conditions possible in the Tropical Storm Watch area by tonight or Saturday.
