Iberville Parish in full preparation for TS Barry's landfall

Iberville Parish officials have implemented a litany of precautions — including a mandatory curfew — in preparation of Tropical Storm Barry, which could intensify before landfall Saturday.

The parish has imposed a mandatory midnight curfew across Iberville, with the exception of those going to or from work. The measure will ensure safety as deputies and police officers handle duties associated with safeguarding the area overnight.

The curfew will remain in effect until dawn, Iberville Parish Sheriff Brett Stassi said.

Forecasts call for the storm to move inland before sunrise, according to the 4 p.m. update by the National Hurricane Center in Miami.

As for Iberville, preparation is fully in place, Stassi said Friday evening.

"We're ready," he said. "We have an advantage this time over 2016 because we've known about this storm for days."

On the east bank, aqua dams have been installed to safeguard areas along Bayou Manchac from a repeat of the flooding the area endured in the August 2016 flood. Bayou Paul Lane and Manchac Road were closed to place the aqua dams.

Sandbags remain available parishwide, including at the maintenance facility in Plaquemine and at fire stations throughout Iberville.

A line of vehicles more than 20 deep stretched onto Bayou Road at the maintenance facility Friday evening as residents sought sandbags in preparation for the heavy rains.

Forecasters predict six and 10 inches of rain from Barry, but the variables remain a major concern, Stassi said.

"We don't know how fast or how slow this storm will move, and there’s always that chance of runoff," he said. "We're watching the situation closely."

Barry is expected to make landfall in Morgan City, with a west-northwesterly movement once it reaches land. The storm could bring heavy rains throughout central and northern Louisiana, according to forecasts.

Across the state, Gov. John Bel Edwards recommends residents to log onto www.getagameplan.org for precautionary tips, and to download the free app 511LA for a comprehensive list of road closures from DOTD.