BRACING FOR IMPACT

Tropical Storm Barry: New Orleans Faces Record Levels of Flooding

The National Weather Service is forecasting that the Mississippi River will crest Saturday at 19 feet, a level not seen since February 1950.

New Orleans is about to experience its worst downpour in decades. Forecasters reported that it is on track to become the wettest day in recorded history, shattering previous records of 12.24 inches of rain. CNN reported that there have been mandatory evacuations in two parishes, and President Trump approved a federal declaration of emergency for Louisiana. Thousands of New Orleans residents already hit by flooding braced for Tropical Storm Barry. The storm, which could have winds stronger than 75 mph, making it a Category 1 hurricane, is expected to make landfall late Friday or early Saturday morning, further devastating areas that have been battered by torrential rain this week. The Mississippi River, which is usually at 6 to 8 feet during this time of year in New Orleans, is now at 16 feet. The conditions are likely to create a dangerous storm surge when Barry hits the city, with the National Weather Service warning that it could be “life-threatening” in certain areas. “There are three ways that Louisiana can flood: storm surge, high rivers and rain,” said Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards on Thursday. “We’re going to have all three.”