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Barry makes landfall in Louisiana. Here's what to expect.


Short-lived Hurricane Barry made landfall around 1 p.m. CDT near Intracoastal City, Louisiana, before being downgraded to a tropical storm. The town had an overnight curfew that expired Saturday morning, after on-and-off rain and power outages. 

The storm is expected to push northward toward Lafayette, with its heaviest rains and winds wrapped around the east side threatening New Orleans and Baton Rouge.

As of 4 p.m. CDT, the storm was moving at 7 mph with maximum sustained winds of 65 mph. The storm's center is located about 20 miles west from the Lafayette, Louisiana.

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In Louisiana

Hours before landfall, water was already spilling over a levee located in Plaquemines Parish at Point Celeste pump station Saturday morning. 

Photos and video taken by Louisiana Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser shows water spilling over a levee located in Plaquemines Parish at Point Celeste pump station Saturday morning. He said crews were working to contain the water. 

The rains inundated the remote Isle de Jean Charles, about 45 miles south of New Orleans. Coast Guard rescuers used helicopters to pluck some residents from rooftops and loaded others into boats from flooded homes on Saturday morning, Petty Officer Lexie Preston said.

Barry is moving so slowly, it's likely that heavy rain will continue throughout the weekend across Louisiana. There were predictions of 10 to 20 inches of rain through Sunday across a swatch of Louisiana that includes New Orleans and Baton Rouge with some parts of the state possible getting 25 inches

Looking ahead, tracking forecasts showed the storm moving north, swelling the Mississippi River basin with water that must eventually flow south again. 

Track Hurricane Barry's path here with Paste BN's interactive map. 

The Red Cross has five shelters open in northern and eastern parts of Louisiana. 

  • Bolton Ave. Community Center, 315 Bolton Ave., Alexandria; 
  • St. Helena College and Career Academy, 14340 Highway 37, Greensburg;
  • Hammond Westside Montessori, 2500 West Park Avenue, Hammond; 
  • Franklinton High School, 1 Demon Circle, Frankinton; 
  • Bogalusa High School, 100 M J Israel Drive, Bogalusa. 

At Red Cross shelters reservations are not necessary and provides basic needs such as a safe place to sleep, meals and water. Health services include first aid, refilling lost prescription, emotional support, mental health services and spiritual care. 

Resident don't need to spend the night to have access to these services. 

Red Cross Do's and Don'ts

Bring: Bedding, clothing, medications, emergency kit, kids, favorite stuffed animal and blankets or other comforting items.

Don't bring: Alcoholic beverages, illegal drugs and weapons.

In Mississippi

Roughly 3,000 customers are without power in Mississippi, according to poweroutage.us.

Mississippians can expect continued bouts of rain and flash flooding with the possibility of a tornado or two through Monday morning, according to the National Weather Service in Jackson.

Mississippians may also spot wildlife during storm surges, like the alligator that was spotted on a flooded road in Waveland, Mississippi.

In Alabama 

The National Weather Service in Mobile, Alabama, said rainfall amounts of 4 to 7 inches rain are possible with heavier amounts locally depending on how the rain bands set up.

The Coast Guard Sector Mobile encourages boaters to stay off the water. The Coast Guard rescued 5 people Friday after their vessel had run aground in the Gulf of Mexico.

Phone tips during the storm

More than 100,000 people in southern Louisiana lost power early Saturday as the edges of Tropical Storm Barry lashed Louisiana and coastal Mississippi and Alabama with strong winds and heavy rain.

For some this might mean dead phones after hours without a charger, so here’s a couple of tips to get the most out of your phone during a hurricane:

Make sure your phone is set to receive wireless emergency alerts. These alerts are sent by government authorities through your wireless service and can be an important source of information. You don’t need to download an app or subscribe to get these alerts. To make sure your phone is set to receive emergency alerts, follow these steps:

iPhone

  • Open the Settings app on your phone.
  • Select Notifications and scroll down to the bottom of the menu.
  • Select Government Alerts and toggle the switches to select the alerts you’d like to receive.

Android

  • Open your phone’s Settings menu.
  • Select Apps and Notifications.
  • Select Emergency Alerts. On some phones you might have to tap Advanced to expand the menu and show the Emergency Alerts button.
  • In the Emergency Alerts menu, you can toggle the switches to select which alerts you’d like to receive.

Keep your device nearby to monitor emergency alerts, but don’t waste battery power playing games or watching videos. Don’t make unnecessary calls or use excessive data. Charge your phone continuously while the power is still on to ensure your battery will be at 100% if the power goes out.

Another way to secure backup power for your phone is to keep a laptop charging, but powered off, while the electricity is still on. You can use the laptop's battery to charge your phone by plugging the phone's charging cable into one of the laptop's USB ports and turning the laptop on.

If wireless service is impacted by a hurricane, you might not be able to make calls at all. Sometimes you can still send text messages when voice calling is no longer available. It’s always a good idea to have an old fashioned, battery-powered radio on hand in case your wireless network goes down.

Hurricane tips to help children feel safe

For many reasons, hurricanes can be stressful. To help children feel safe during a hurricane, here are some tips:

  • Lead by example: To keep things calm with your kids, stay calm and explain what's happening while it's happening.
  • Be prepared to repeat yourself: Kids will have questions. Lots of questions. You may have to repeat your answers a few times, too. Be patient and be prepared.
  • Have a "kid-friendly storm kit" handy: They can help decorate it, too. Include a bottle of water, fruit snacks, trail mix or pretzels to munch on as well as games to play. A deck of cards, a travel-size board game, candles and flashlight (in case there's a power outage), books and MadLibs.
  • Designate "storm central": Help your child pick out a safe spot in the house where he or she can camp out on pillows, sleeping bags or blankets. A stuffed animal or two to keep watch adds to the fun.
  • Give extra hugs: During a hurricane, expect lots of rain, strong winds and a noisy environment. This could make kids nervous, so reassure them by giving extra hugs, explanations and patience.

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