NEW ORLEANS, La. (AP) — Barry has made landfall in Louisiana and has weakened to a tropical storm.
The National Hurricane Center says the storm arrived on land Saturday afternoon.
The storm’s center was located about 5 miles (10 kilometers) northeast of Intracoastal City, and about 30 miles (50 kilometers) south-southwest of Lafayette, Louisiana.
Maximum sustained winds were clocked at 70 mph 115 (kph).
The center is warning of dangerous storm surge, heavy rains and strong winds.
National Hurricane Center director Ken Graham said that Barry had gathered “a big slough of moisture” and was expected to dump rain on the area throughout the weekend.
He describes Barry’s slow-moving trajectory as enabling it to gather immense amounts of water that it will eventually dump over saturated areas well inland, flooding rivers and creeks.
