Tropical Storm Barry bears down on Louisiana, still expected to become hurricane before landfall today

Jul. 13--Tropical Storm Barry was churning with 70 mph winds and moving slowly toward inevitable landfall along the Louisiana coast today, bringing massive rainfall and storm surge.

As of 8 a.m., Tropical Storm Barry was moving west-northwest at 5 mph located 50 miles southwest of Morgan City, Louisiana, according to the National Hurricane Center. The forecast track has Barry shifting to the northwest and making landfall along the south-central Louisiana coast later today.

"It's powerful. It's strengthening. And water is going to be a big issue," National Hurricane Center Director Ken Graham warned.

Rain bands have already begun whipping the coast as tropical storm force winds extend out 175 miles. An observation station in Eugene Island, Louisiana reported sustained winds of 71 mph. The NHC also warns that tornado formation is possible.

While winds are a danger, and stronger gusts that could reach hurricane force are expected, the amount of rain poses the greatest threat to the Mississippi Valley. The NHC expects 10 to 20 inches of rain over the next few days with some isolated areas dealing with 25 inches of rain.

"These rains are expected to lead to dangerous, life threatening flooding over portions of the central Gulf Coast into the Lower Mississippi Valley beginning as early as later this morning," reads the advisory on the NHC.

The storm will also dump 4 to 8 inches with isolated areas of up to 12 inches across the rest of the Mississippi Valley and portions of the Tennessee Valley.

Storm surge coupled with high tide is also a threat with up to 6 feet surge expected along some parts of the Gulf shore. Already a storm surge of 2.8 feet was reported on a tide gauge at New Canal Station.

By Saturday morning, more than 45,000 people in southern Louisiana had lost power.

Late Friday night, residents received good news from forecasters: The Mississippi River is expected to crest in New Orleans at about 17.1 feet (5.2 meters) on Monday, not 19 feet (5.8 meters) as had been earlier predicted. The levees protecting the city range from about 20 to 25 feet (6 to 7.5 meters) in height.

On-again, off again tropical showers hit New Orleans overnight. As day broke, the streets in the famous French Quarter tourist district were barely damp. It was breezy, but flags on balconies overhanging the empty streets still occasionally fell limp. A few cars were out on roads.

Governors declared emergencies in Louisiana and Mississippi, and authorities took unprecedented precautions in closing floodgates and raising the barriers around New Orleans.

Gov. John Bel Edwards said it was the first time all floodgates were sealed in the New Orleans-area Hurricane Risk Reduction System since Katrina. Still, he said he didn't expect the Mississippi River to spill over the levees despite water levels already running high from spring rains and melting snow upstream.

"My concerns are just hoping it's not going to be another Katrina," said Donald Wells, a restaurant cook in New Orleans.

Authorities told at least 10,000 people in exposed, low-lying areas along the Gulf Coast to leave, but no evacuations were ordered in New Orleans , where officials urged residents to "shelter in place."

Before they did, people packed stores to stock up on bottled water, food and other essentials.

Lifelong New Orleans resident Terrence Williams grabbed supplies at a Costco, saying he has a few simple rules for big storms.

"Stock up on water. Stock up food. Get ready for the storm -- ride it out," he said.

At least one couple scrapped their carefully planned Saturday wedding in favor of moving up the ceremony .

"We realized we had a marriage license, two rings ... and we didn't really want to wait any longer," Associated Press photographer Gerald Herbert said before marrying Lucy Sikes on Friday, before the storm hit.

Workers also shored up and raised the levee system in places with beams, sheet metal and other barriers.

Rescue crews and about 3,000 National Guard troops were posted around Louisiana with boats, high-water vehicles and helicopters. President Donald Trump declared a federal emergency for Louisiana, authorizing federal agencies to coordinate relief efforts.

The impending storm also triggered a legal spat between neighboring parishes. East Baton Rouge Parish won a temporary restraining order against the AquaDams that Iberville Parish planned to deploy along Bayou Manchac. A federal judge ruled Friday night that the water-filled flood control barriers could cause substantial property damage and loss of life in East Baton Rouge.

Scientists say global warming is responsible for more intense and more frequent storms and flooding, but without extensive study, they cannot directly link a single weather event to the changing climate.

Tracking forecasts showed the storm moving toward Chicago, swelling the Mississippi River basin with water that must eventually flow south again.

Before the worst of the storm, Kaci Douglas and her 15-year-old son, Juan Causey, were among dozens filling sandbags at a fire station in Baton Rouge. She planned to use them to shore up the door of her townhouse.

"I told my son, it's better to be safe than sorry," she said.

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In New Orleans, a group of neighbors cleaned out the storm drains on their street. Working together to lift off the heavy metal covers, they discovered that most of the drains were full of dirt, leaves and garbage.

All over town, people parked their cars on the city's medians -- referred to by locals as "neutral grounds" -- in hopes their vehicles would be safe on the slightly elevated strips.

After Katrina was blamed for more than 1,800 deaths, by some estimates, the Army Corps of Engineers began a multibillion-dollar hurricane-protection system that isn't complete. The work included repairs and improvements to some 350 miles (560 kilometers) of levees and more than 70 pumping stations.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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