Forecasters dropped storm warnings for southeastern Louisiana Sunday afternoon and said the threat from Tropical Storm Debby had decreased.
National Hurricane Center forecasters backed away from an earlier projection that Debby might strike southeast Louisiana as a Category 1 hurricane. Instead they said they didn't expect it to turn west from its northward path that has it aimed at Florida and Alabama.
The morning forecast for a Louisiana strike prompted Louisiana officials to declare a state of emergency out of precaution. Louisiana officials did not order any evacuations but moved sandbags and other flood defenses into place.
Debby is the fourth named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, which ends Nov. 30. The peak period for hurricane activity runs from August through October but the season has been active so far.