The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) issued the most recent advisory at 4am Central Time (10am BST) on Saturday, July 13. It puts the storm 55 miles (260km) southwest of Morgan City, Louisiana. The storm is packing maximum sustained winds of 65mph (100km/h) and is expected to strengthen into a hurricane before it makes a full landfall later on Saturday.
LATEST STORM TRACK
According to NOAA, Storm Barry is moving west-northwest at 5mph (7km/h).
The outer rain bands of the storm have begun to move onshore, bringing dangerous storm surge, heavy rain and hazardous winds across the north-central Gulf Coast.
On the forecast track, the centre of Barry will make landfall along the south-central Louisiana coast later today, before churning slowly northward through the Mississippi Valley through Sunday night.
READ MORE: Will Mississippi River flood New Orleans when Hurricane Barry hits?
WATCHES AND WARNINGS IN PLACE
A Hurricane Warning is in effect for:
* Intracoastal City to Grand Isle
A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for:
* Mouth of the Pearl River to Grand Isle
* Lake Pontchartrain and Lake Maurepas including metropolitan New Orleans
* Intracoastal City to Cameron
A Storm Surge Warning is in effect for:
* Intracoastal City to Biloxi
* Lake Pontchartrain
A Storm Surge Watch is in effect for:
* Biloxi to the Mississippi/Alabama border
A Hurricane Watch is in effect for:
* Mouth of the Mississippi River to Grand Isle
* Intracoastal City to Cameron
A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for:
* East of the Mouth of the Pearl River to the Mississippi/Alabama border
KEY NOAA MESSAGES TO THE PUBLIC
1. There is a danger of life-threatening storm surge along the coast of southern Louisiana, portions of Lake Pontchartrain, and portions of coastal Mississippi.
Water levels have already begun to rise dangerously in these areas, with peak inundation expected to occur on Saturday.
The highest storm surge inundation is expected between Intracoastal City and Shell Beach.
2. The slow movement of Barry will result in prolonged heavy rainfall and dangerous flooding along the central Gulf Coast, portions of the Lower Mississippi Valley and north into the Tennessee Valley through the weekend into early next week.
Flash flooding and river flooding is likely, some of which may be life-threatening, especially across portions of southeast Louisiana into Mississippi.
3. Hurricane conditions are expected along the coast of Louisiana, with tropical storm conditions expected along much of the Louisiana coast and inland across portions of the lower Mississippi Valley.
HAZARDS TO LAND
NOAA is warning the public of the following hazards to land:
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.
Rainfall – Barry is expected to produce total rain accumulations of 10 to 20 inches (25-50cm) over south-central and 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 beginning as early as later on Saturday morning.
Wind – Hurricane conditions are expected in the Hurricane Warning area later this morning, with tropical storm conditions currently spreading across the area.
Tornadoes – Tornadoes are possible later on Saturday across southeast Louisiana and southern Mississippi.