Tropical Storm Barry will bring heavy winds and downpours to the Gulf Coast as it’s expected to make landfall Saturday morning on the Louisiana coast. Forecasters are predicting the storm may be upgraded to a hurricane.

Neighboring states Alabama, Mississippi and the Florida Panhandle will see remnants from the storm with potential flooding.

In Alabama, communities including Fort Morgan, Dauphin Island and Gulf Shores are expected to see periods of heavy rainfall starting Friday and into the weekend.

Meanwhile, Alabama Power storm center leaders are closely watching the slow-moving track of Tropical Storm Barry.

“We are monitoring the forecast and continuing in our preparations,” said Power Delivery Services General Manager Kristie Barton. “Our crews remain on high alert and are prepared to respond, if needed, to restore any outages in this state.”

Alabama Power also participates in a mutual assistance agreement to help utility companies in other states with power restoration after storms. So far, Barton said the company has received no requests for outside assistance in other states.

Get the latest on the forecast and the storm’s track from Meteorologist James Spann on www.alabamanewscenter.com. You can also visit www.alabamapower.com or www.alabamawtwitter.com for the latest forecast updates.

Tropical Storm Barry is the second named storm of this year’s Atlantic hurricane season.

(Courtesy of Alabama NewsCenter)