“The danger to New Orleans — bound by the Mississippi River on its south side, Lake Pontchartrain on its north side and tributaries leading into the nearby Gulf of Mexico on the east — is threefold: storm surges from the sea, rain from the sky and water from the rising river if the levees fail.” AP: New Orleans’ levees face a hard test as storm bears down.

+ The New Orleans mayor has asked residents to shelter in place as Barry makes its way to shore. Here’s the latest from CNN.