by Donald Wood
Last updated: 9:35 AM ET, Thu July 11, 2019
Update: July 12, 2019 at 6:20 a.m. ET
The storm system forming in the Gulf of Mexico is now officially Tropical Storm Barry, and the outer bands of wind and rain are making landfall in New Orleans where flooding has already become a problem for tourists and locals alike.
According to The Associated Press, officials announced a hurricane warning along the Louisiana coast and started issuing mandatory evacuation notices in some areas as Barry could make landfall as a hurricane by early Saturday.
Portions of the Gulf Coast between Texas and Mississippi could experience more than 18 inches of rain as the storm system moves slowly inland. As a result, airlines have started waiving change fees for impacted travelers.
Carries such as Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Frontier Airlines, JetBlue, Spirit, Southwest Airlines and United Airlines have all issued travel advisories that cover airports from Houston to Panama City Beach, Florida.
Travelers scheduled to fly to or from airports along the Gulf Coast are being asked to contact their carriers before heading to the airport to ensure their flights are not canceled or delayed.
After docking in Mobile, Alabama instead of New Orleans, the Carnival Valor's current four-night voyage to Cozumel departed from Mobile Thursday, with passengers being bussed from New Orleans to the dock in Alabama, according to CruiseCritic.
Amtrak also announced it has modified service to and from New Orleans due to the forecasted arrival of hurricane-force storms this weekend.
A storm forming in the Gulf of Mexico is likely to eventually become Hurricane Barry in the coming days, which could impact travel throughout the region.
According to Accuweather.com, the weather system is expected to become a tropical depression early Thursday when it reaches maximum sustained winds of at least 39 miles per hour, and it will continue to intensify in the coming days before reaching hurricane status.
The National Hurricane Center said the storm system is moving slowly, which will allow it to gain strength as it remains over the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico. The storm is expected to become the first hurricane of the 2019 Atlantic season Friday night into Saturday.
Heavy thunderstorms are already assaulting coastal towns along the Gulf of Mexico, including New Orleans, which is experiencing heavy flooding. With Barry expected to make landfall this weekend, the region is issuing tornado and flood warnings.
As for travelers heading to or from the region this weekend, Delta Air Lines is monitoring the situation, and while no cancellations have been announced yet, flights could be impacted from eastern Texas to New Orleans in the coming days.
Southwest Airlines is also preparing to waive change fees due to potential delays and cancellations caused by the storm system, with cities such as New Orleans, Panama City Beach and Pensacola the most likely to be impacted.
In addition, Carnival Cruise Line announced the Carnival Valor would not be able to return to New Orleans Thursday due to the storm. The ship will dock in Mobile, Alabama, instead and passengers will be bussed back to Louisiana.
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