Louisiana lawmakers expressing concern as hurricane looms in Gulf

Tropical Storm Barry is forming in the Gulf of Mexico Thursday, potentially making landfall in southern parts of Louisiana Friday night or Saturday morning.

Plaquemines Parish, at Louisiana's southeastern tip, ordered the mandatory evacuation of as many as 10,000 people, and communities began handing out sandbags. Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards declared an emergency and said National Guard troops and high-water vehicles will be positioned all over the state.

The National Hurricane Center said as much as 20 inches of rain could fall in parts of eastern Louisiana, including Baton Rouge, and the entire region could get as much as 10 inches. New Orleans could receive 10 inches, forecasters said.

The storm's surge also could prevent water from emptying out of the already-swollen Mississippi River, possibly sending water over levees near New Orleans, forecasters said. The river has been running high for months.

Watch the one-on-one interviews with Louisiana's federal lawmakers above.