Gov. John Bel Edwards on Tuesday declared a state of emergency in advance of Hurricane Delta, which is forecast to make landfall in South Louisiana on Friday or Saturday.

“Hurricane Delta is an incredibly dangerous storm that will bring heavy winds, rain and life threatening flooding and storm surge to coastal Louisiana. Everyone in South Louisiana should pay close attention to the weather in the coming days and heed the advice and directions of their local officials. Now is the time to make preparations for Delta’s impacts,” Gov. Edwards said. “All of Louisiana’s coast is in the tracking cone, and we are well aware that impacts can be felt outside of the track.”

Gov. Edwards and the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (GOHSEP) are urging everyone to prepare for Tropical Storm Delta. The State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC) has remained activated since March due to the ongoing COVID-19 fight and multiple tropical threats, including the ongoing recovery for Hurricane Laura. Conference calls with local emergency management leaders have started to determine what potential state resources could be needed for response. Unified Command Group (UCG) meetings are being scheduled along with those local updates.