Saturday, 7/13/19, 11:20 a.m. update:
The National Weather Center said Barry has strengthened into a hurricane as it moves onto Louisiana coast.
Hurricane #Barry Advisory 13: Barry Becomes a Hurricane as it is Moving Onto the Louisiana Coast. https://t.co/VqHn0uj6EM
— National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) July 13, 2019
Friday, 7/12/19, 5 p.m. update:
Tropical Storm Barry continues to intensify a bit more as it moves to the west-northwest at 6 mph. Barry is expected to reach Category 1 hurricane status just before it makes landfall in Louisiana late Saturday morning. Tropical storm-force winds extend 175 miles from its center.
Barry is forecast to make a turn to the north later today or early Saturday morning. It is not expected to pick up much speed until after it makes landfall and has travelled a bit inland. A faster forward motion is expected Sunday while it weakens.
Barry is forecast to make a turn to the north later today or early Saturday morning. It is not expected to pick up much speed until after it makes landfall and has travelled a bit inland. A faster forward motion is expected Sunday while it weakens.
Continue reading below for threats and forecast.
Earlier story:
Our below average rain chances for the weekend are due to Tropical Storm Barry pulling most of the moisture available in the area toward its center. Barry will continue to move over the northern Gulf of Mexico, where the water temperature is two to four degrees above average for this time of the year.
Read: Weekend forecast - Storms chances decrease as temperatures heat up this weekend
Already beginning to see the impacts from Tropical Storm #Barry #TropicalStormBarry on the Mississippi River levels at New Orleans. Current observations and forecasts here --> https://t.co/E3tfDBURaH pic.twitter.com/4OhgoWNwQ1
— Michael Lowry (@MichaelRLowry) July 12, 2019
DOTD Storm Preparations - Crews staging barricades around the state. pic.twitter.com/EiVmCiJfuM
— Louisiana DOTD (@La_DOTD) July 10, 2019
Tropical Storm Barry is forecast to make landfall Saturday late morning strong tropical storm in Louisiana. Regardless if it makes it to be a Category 1 Hurricane, this storm will be a huge rain event for southern Louisiana and southwester Mississippi.
The system has already developed storms over Louisiana, and the rain will continue constantly over the weekend. This will be a huge rain event for Louisiana, Mississippi, extreme southwestern Alabama and the Florida Panhandle. Barry is meandering across the Gulf of Mexico, where water temperatures are in the upper 80s to low 90s, serving as fuel for this system to become much better organized and strengthen.
BARRY'S THREATS LOUISIANA, MISSISSIPPI
Impacts will go well beyond the cone of uncertainty. Expect torrential rains and life-threatening floods to cover much of eastern Louisiana and southwestern Mississippi.
This amount of rain will likely put the levees to their maximum test.
Life-threatening floods, storm surge
Barry will be a major rain event across much of Louisiana and Mississippi through the weekend. Louisiana has already had flooding since Wednesday, and parts of the state could receive 10 to 20 inches of rain. Isolated spots could receive up to 25 inches of rain.
Barry will be a major rain event across much of Louisiana and Mississippi through the weekend. Louisiana has already had flooding since Wednesday, and parts of the state could receive 10 to 20 inches of rain. Isolated spots could receive up to 25 inches of rain.
Storm surge will also be a major risk, as six feet of surge is expected for some coastal locations in Louisiana.
Life-threatening floods will also affect people and structures across inland locations.
The Mississippi River is at historic high levels, after a rainy past season, and the rains promise to make the situation worse.
Tropical storm-force winds extend outward 175 miles from its center, and they will be felt across southern Louisiana starting this morning. Overnight, 38 mph sustained winds were reported at a U.S. Geological Survey Station near Point a la Hache, Louisiana.
The exact landfall spot has shifted a bit west in the last few advisories. As of Friday morning, Barry is forecast to make landfall about 30 miles west of Morgan City in Louisiana.
If you are reading this from an area expected to be affected by Barry or have friends and family in that region, make sure to advice them to follow authorities' orders. Evacuate if you are ordered to do so. Rescue missions not only put your life at risk, but also the lives of rescuers.
The greatest risk for tornadoes is from Baton Rogue eastward to Pensacola, Florida.
Is your name on the list? 2019 hurricane season name list
It’s hurricane season, and in the next few weeks, we will be approaching the peak of the season and will likely see more systems trying to develop and systems developing. Now is the time to make sure you have a plan for when the season picks up.
We will continue to monitor the situation and bring you the latest updates on our free WFTV weather app, wftv.com and on Eyewitness News.
Follow our Severe Weather team on Twitter for live updates:
- Chief meteorologist Tom Terry
- Brian Shields
- Irene Sans
- Kassandra Crimi
- George Waldenberger
- Rusty McCranie
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