Hurricane Harvey: Louisiana Declares State Of Emergency

BATON ROUGE, LA — As Hurricane Harvey slashes through the Texas and Louisiana coastlines, Gov. John Bel Edwards declared a state of emergency for the entire state of Louisiana.

Harvey is forecast to make landfall late Friday or early Saturday as a Category 3 storm, The Associated Press reported. The National Hurricane Center's latest advisory as of 10 a.m. Friday places the storm about 115 miles southeast of Corpus Christi, Texas moving 10 mph to the northwest. Sustained winds have been holding at 110 mph.

In New Orleans, rainfall through the middle of next week could easily range from 5 to 10 inches — and even higher in some areas, the National Weather Service reported.

Edwards said in a release that all of the state’s emergency preparation and response teams are planning for the "serious threat" posed by the storm, and are urging everyone in the state to do so as well.

Harvey Could Be The Strongest Hurricane To Hit The US Since 2005

“I will continue to direct all of the necessary resources to preparing for the worst as we all pray for the best, but rest assured, state and local officials are working around the clock to monitor and respond to this potentially dangerous situation," Edwards said. (For more information on Hurricane Harvey and other Baton Rouge stories, subscribe to Patch to receive daily newsletters and breaking news alerts. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app.)

Edwards is receiving the latest updates from the Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness as well as the National Weather Service. The homeland security office in 24-hour operations and coordinating with state agencies, parish officials and first responders who are putting resources in place for citizens who might need help.

Those seeking information on roads can do so at 511la.org.

A wide swath of Texas from the coast and inland are projected to get rainfall measuring up to nearly 3 feet.After the storm makes landfall, experts expect it will gradually weaken. That could happen slowly though due to the warmth of the Gulf of Mexico.

Spoke w/ @POTUS @realDonaldTrump this afternoon. He offered his full support to the people of LA as we prepare for #Harvey. #lagov #lawx
— Gov John Bel Edwards (@LouisianaGov) August 24, 2017

4am CDT Key Messages for Hurricane #Harvey. Preparations along the Texas coast should be rushed to completion. pic.twitter.com/lEcP8IirpI
— NHC Atlantic Ops (@NHC_Atlantic) August 25, 2017

#Harvey will bring catastrophic & life-threatening storm surge & rainfall flooding, as well as strong winds to Texas https://t.co/tW4KeGdBFb pic.twitter.com/6r60zIIGmP
— NHC Atlantic Ops (@NHC_Atlantic) August 25, 2017

Photo credit: David J. Phillip/Associated Press