Barry continued a slow strengthening and a slow movement Wednesday night, with maximum winds of 50 miles per hour as the tropical storm crawls westward at 3 miles per hour in the Gulf of Mexico.
The main threat from Barry continues to be potentially heavy rainfall to the east of the storm's center along with storm surge. A storm surge warning was extended westward to Intracoastal City.
From the 10 p.m. advisory on storm surge:
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 ft
Shell Beach to the Mississippi/Alabama border...2 to 4 ft
Intracoastal City to the Mouth of the Atchafalaya River...3 to 5 ft
Lake Pontchartrain...2 to 4 ft
There is still a chance for the storm to become a hurricane before landfall. "On the forecast track, the center of Barry will be near or over the central or southeastern coast of Louisiana Friday night or Saturday, and then move inland into the Lower Mississippi Valley on Sunday," said the National Hurricane Center.
Here are the current watches and warnings from the NHC:
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 Shell Beach
A Storm Surge Watch is in effect for...
* Shell Beach to the Mississippi/Alabama border
* Mouth of the Atchafalaya River to Intracoastal City
* Lake Pontchartrain
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