President Trump is approving an emergency declaration for Louisiana ahead of Tropical Storm Barry. The declaration provides important federal resources for the state as it prepares for a dangerous storm. Barry is expected to be a hurricane by the time it makes landfall this weekend.
Forecasters in New Orleans are dropping their estimate of how high the Mississippi River will get when a projected hurricane reaches the Louisiana coast. They now expect the river to reach 19 feet above sea level. That's good news for city residents because the previous estimate of 20 feet that matched or exceeded the height of levee walls. Barry is taking longer to form than expected, which means it's not drawing as much strength. One of the biggest concerns about this storm is that it would push the Mississippi River over the levees that line its banks. The River was more than 16 feet above sea level this morning.
A Louisiana animal shelter is desperately looking for homes for dozens of animals before Tropical Storm Barry hits. In a desperate Facebook post, the St. Landry Parish Animal Control and Rescue said it's an outdoor facility and may have to euthanize all animals that are kept outside if the animals can't be moved out of the danger zone. The shelter, which reportedly houses 300 animals, is asking other organizations that are out of the affected area to provide a safe place for the pets. The shelter stressed the urgency of the situation, noting that there's about a 24-hour window before major winds of about 75-miles-per-hour hit the region.
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