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OAN Press Room
UPDATE 2:25 PM – Saturday, July 13, 2019
Barry officially arrives in Louisiana as a Category 1 hurricane and has now been downgraded to a tropical storm.
At a press conference on Saturday, officials asked the residents to continue to reside on site and warned against moving during the storm.
Aimee Cutter, owner of Beach House Restaurant, crosses Lake Pontchartrain water on Lakeshore Drive in Mandeville, Louisiana, before Tropical Storm Barry, on Saturday, July 13, 2019. Barry is expected to reaches the center force reaches the coast of Louisiana, scheduled before noon local time. The storm should weaken after moving inland. (AP Photo / Matthew Hinton)
About 3,800 National Guard soldiers are currently on standby in the state to contribute to rescue efforts. The New Orleans Tourism Bureau also urged visitors to remain vigilant.
"It's a dangerous and life-threatening storm," said Benjamin Schot, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. "Time is running out – if you have any preparations you need to complete now, it's time – you do not have a lot of time before Barry's impacts are there."
The state's airports remain open, but flights have been canceled for the day and are expected to resume Sunday.
According to reports, more than 77,000 residents are currently deprived of electricity because of the storm.
The people of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, prepared themselves at the last minute before Barry's arrival. On Saturday morning, many people took precautions in anticipation of the storm, such as the supply of water and supplies.
In a Walmart in the city, some last-minute shoppers had to queue, the store only allowing 10 people at a time.
Although extreme weather and floods are not new to the people of Louisiana, many are worried about the consequences of Barry's disappearance.
The storm was blowing at winds of 100 km / h, just under the force of hurricanes [Jonathan Bachman/Reuters]
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