Forecasters say the storm system, which is projected to be called Tropical Storm Claudette, is expected to make landfall late Friday night or early Saturday morning. The weather system is projected to land on the Southeastern Louisiana coast and move to the east across southwest and coastal Mississippi into central Alabama.
At 1 PM on Friday, the National Weather Service tweeted a photo of the system inching closer to the Southeast Louisiana coast with winds pushing 40 to 50 miles per hour and bringing with it moderate to heavy rainfall.
The National Weather Service reports a marginal risk of severe weather through Friday. The storm could bring isolated tornadoes and four to eight inches of rainfall over the weekend. A flash flood warning watch is in effect across the region from Friday through early Sunday morning.
Additionally, the National Weather Service has issued coastal flood warnings across the entire Gulf Coast region from the lower Atchafalaya River to the Mississippi and Alabama state line through Saturday. Advisories are in effect for lakeshore areas along Lake Pontchartrain and Maurepas from today through Sunday.