Tropical Storm Barry begins to thrash Louisiana coast, evacuations ordered

Wind, rain batter Louisiana Gulf Coast as Tropical Storm Barry approaches
Wind and rain started to lash Louisiana’s Gulf Coast early Friday as residents prepare for what’s expected to be the area’s first hurricane of the season. President Trump declared a state of emergency in Louisiana Thursday evening, authorizing federal disaster relief efforts for Tropical Storm Barry. A hurricane warning was in effect along the Louisiana coast, and forecasters said the storm could make landfall as a hurricane by early Saturday. The storm's rains are expected to pose a severe test of New Orleans' improved post-Katrina flood defenses. Barry is forecast to bring more than a foot and a half of rain to parts of the state as it moves slowly inland.