The National Hurricane Center issued a tropical storm warning for part of the Louisiana coast Monday afternoon. A tropical storm warning means tropical storm conditions are expected somewhere within the warning area within the next 24 to 36 hours.
Forecasters said it's too early to tell where the system will make landfall. The National Weather Service said Monday that tides could begin rising Tuesday, with peak high tide Wednesday or Thursday.
Heavy rain is the primary threat to southeast Louisiana, according to the National Weather Service. Forecasters called for 3-6 inches with the potential for 10-15 inches and said tides could rise 2-4 feet above normal depending on the storm's track.
Members of the Terrebonne Parish Levee and Conservation District, Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness and other officials met Monday morning to discuss preparations for the tropical system.
Earl Eues Jr., director of the Terrebonne Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, said parish officials are hoping for the best but preparing for the worst.
"Depending on what track this storm takes, we're preparing as if the storm is coming for us," he said. "So the Levee District will be closing some of their gates Monday and will close some more gates on Tuesday. They're going to make a decision first thing tomorrow about the Bubba Dove Floodgate, which crosses the Houma Navigation Canal."
Eues said he's encouraging the public to prepare for the storm because even unnamed systems could have devastating consequences. All residents in low-lying areas of the parish and those outside the levee systems should be prepared for coastal flooding.
"We're telling everyone to prepare as if it's coming here because, if it does get here, there will be a short period of time that we'll have for preparation," Eues said.
Tony Alford, president of the Terrebonne Parish Levee and Conservation District Board, said communication is one of the most effective tools when it comes to preparing for treacherous weather.
"We're preparing (Monday) by closing the little gaps in Four Point Road, Falgout Canal and Pointe-aux-Chenes," he said. "We're pushing some dirt and doing different things to secure those areas. Hopefully this will end up being just a small storm, but we don't know for sure. It's hard to know where it's going at this point. We're just taking all the precautions that we usually take in situations like this. I think we have a lot better protection now than we did years ago, but you still need to prepare and listen. If they give an evacuation notice, you need to leave."
Dwayne Bourgeois, executive director of the North Lafourche Levee District, said he's been following information from the state and communicating with other levee districts to prepare.
Bourgeois urged people to clear ditches, catch basins and culverts for debris. Residents should also secure or pick up loose objects from yards and place empty garbage cans with unattached covers away from ditches.
Windell Curole, general manager of the South Lafourche Levee District, said the floodgates were already closed before the threat. The canals are being pumped down, and pump stations are topped off with fuel.
"In talking to the National Weather Service, it's kind of unpredictable what's going to happen with the storm," he said. "But the big takeaway is they don't expect it to be a powerful storm. ... Whenever you have an organized system in the Gulf, you pay attention. It can get to you rather quickly if it's already in the Gulf. This one looks like it's going to stay a minor storm. You should have a plan already, but if you don't, now's the time to think about what your plan should be. Have a Plan B along with your Plan A."
Nicholls State University classes and activities were expected to continue as scheduled as of Monday. The university's Emergency Preparedness Committee issued a Phase I alert.
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