Gov. Bobby Jindal warns the state could see 12 to 15 inches of rain this weekend.
Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal is not taking any chances as a slow-moving area of storms heads toward the state from the Gulf of Mexico, declaring a state of emergency.
Jindal says the emergency will last through Friday.
The storms could bring flash floods and stormy seas to the state, which marked the six-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina on Monday.
Jindal says the National Weather Service is not expecting a full-on hurricane but says a tropical storm could be the result, potentially dumping 12 to 15 inches of rain onto coast and inland areas over the next 48 hours.
The low-lying Lafourche Parish may see up to 18 inches of rain through Monday, officials predict.
The Army Corps of Engineers, which operates major flood control structures at New Orleans, was monitoring developments but didn't plan on closing any flood control structures yet, spokesman Ricky Boyett said in an email to the Associated Press.
The state of emergency allows the governor to activate the National Guard. It also lets parishes ask the state to repay money spent to prepare and fight floods, and lets the state track such expenses, Jindal spokesman Kyle Plotkin told AP.
On Facebook
On Twitter
