As Tropical Storm Barry barrels toward Louisiana, New Orleans issued a shelter-in-place order for city residents that goes into effect 8 p.m. on Friday.
Barry is expected to reach Category 1 hurricane status in the coming hours and make landfall Saturday morning, potentially dumping up to 20 inches of rain across the area.
Shelter in place by 8pm, stay off the streets of New Orleans for your safety and the safety of our first responders. @nopdnews @nolafiredept @neworleansems
Residents should be wrapping up preparedness activities now. @nolaready Text BARRY to 888-777 for city emergency alerts. pic.twitter.com/oxP204ZtVk
— The City Of New Orleans (@CityOfNOLA) July 12, 2019
New Orleans officials have urged residents within the protection of city levees to stay home and hunker down rather than flee the city, though other towns in Louisiana such as Grand Isle opted for mandatory evacuation on Thursday afternoon. Flood gates in New Orleans were all closed by Friday evening as the National Weather Service issued a hurricane warning for the area.
Concerns over Barry’s potential to cause harmful flooding have risen, but Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards said the levees would likely not be topped by storm surging. He did, however, share concerns that floodwaters would be substantial, saying, “This is going to be a major rain event across a huge portion of Louisiana … Look, there are three ways Louisiana floods — storm surge, high rivers, and rain. We’re going to have all three.”
Edwards also authorized the activation of 3,000 National Guard service members to respond to the storm. President Trump declared a state of emergency for Louisiana on Friday in advance of Barry’s impact, freeing up federal assistance to local response efforts.
