Tropical storm Marco strengthened into a Category 1 storm on Sunday. Experts predict the storm will make landfall along the southwest Louisiana coast early next week.
People who live outside of levee protection, including in Venetian Isles, Lake Catherine, and Irish Bayou, have been told to evacuate their homes. A storm surge warning is in effect with four to six feet of storm surge anticipated.
âObviously we have a very unique situation,â said Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards as the state braces for Marco.
Louisiana could see a second tropical storm make landfall about 48 hours later.
âYou never know what to expect but this is a serious situation,â Edwards said.
He is urging people to get ready: âYou really need to be prepared.â
People waited in long lines to stock up on essential items, preparing for power outages and possible evacuations.
âIâm getting prepared. Gassed up my car first,â said Henry Miller.
In the town of Jean Lafitte, workers started filling up sandbags to protect homes and businesses.
âI called them out when we got bad news at 4 p.m. that it might be a little trouble, they came out and overnight they threw 17,000 sandbags,â said Mayor Tim Kerner.
One family, who has a camp on Lake Pontchartrain, had to evacuate.
âWeâve basically boarded up the windows, tied all the crab traps down, and picked the boats up,â the family said.