By Veronica Rocha, Meg Wagner, Elise Hammond, Paul Murphy and Emily Dixon, CNN
From CNN's Dave Hennen
Barry has strengthened into a Category 1 hurricane, according the latest advisory from the National Hurricane Center.
The maximum sustained winds have increased to 75 mph, with the center of the storm located 40 mph south of Lafayette, Louisiana. Landfall is expected within the next few hours along the Louisiana coast.
The levees and floodgates in Golden Meadow, Louisiana, are holding so far as Tropical Storm Barry gets closer to making landfall.
This video, taken by Donnie Callais of the Louisiana State Police, shows just how high the waters are getting.
From CNN's Dave Hennen
Tropical Storm Barry is approaching hurricane strength and is expected to be a hurricane at landfall.
The center of Barry is just under 50 miles from the coast, with landfall expected late this morning or early this afternoon in Vermillion Bay.
Hurricane force winds, deadly storm surge, and flooding rains are expected with conditions deteriorating over the next several hours in Louisiana.
Since most of the rain is south of the center, the heavy flooding has been delayed, but will spread over much of Louisiana and Mississippi today.
There is a high risk flood threat for much of southeast Louisiana, including New Orleans, Baton Rouge, and Lafayette.
Once inland the flood threat will continue into early next week for the Mississippi Valley.
From CNN's Paul Murphy
Ludovico Torri woke up this morning to find his neighborhood in Mandeville, Louisiana, flooded, as well as the area under his home.
"The waves from the lake are crashing onto the land as if it is all one big lake," he said. "The water is rising too. In the last hour and a half, the water is up a foot. We’re stuck in the house with four kids and the car is almost flooding."
Torri said the wind is getting stronger and "the water is rising and rising."
Airlines are canceling flights to and from New Orleans today as Tropical Storm Barry creeps closer to Louisiana.
Here's a list of flight cancellations at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport:
Some airlines are currently offering options to change flights to and from New Orleans International Airport.
Passengers are advised to check with their airlines for flight updates before heading to the airport.
From CNN's Chuck Johnston
Twelve people and a cat were evacuated this morning as rising waters overcame some residents who tried to hunker down during Tropical Storm Barry.
Mart Black, a spokesperson with Terrebonne Parish's Office of Emergency Management, told CNN that 12 people on Island Road in Cocodrie, Louisiana, were rescued this morning and flown to Houma, Louisiana.
The group is now at a shelter in Houma.
An initial call came in at 4:30 a.m. local time, saying there were 12 people who needed to be rescued from Island Road, according to Petty Officer Lexie Preston.
The Coast Guard said they've received additional calls from people seeking assistance, in addition to the initial call from 12 people.
From CNN's Paul Murphy
The Lafourche Parish Sheriff's Office shared a video showing Louisiana Highway 1 underwater this morning.
The video was shot from the south Lafourche levee.
See it:
From CNN's Paul Murphy
Tropical Storm Barry is hours away from where Jeannea Spence lives -- Alabama Port, Alabama, near Dauphin Island -- but the storm is already making its presence known in Mobile Bay.
She was headed to work this morning, but after 10 minutes of driving, she turned around.
Spence says the pier is underwater and the video she took shows surge coming into the bayfront backyard.
"I know from experience it absolutely will [flood]," Spence told CNN.
Although she's a seasoned storm veteran, she's nervous. She's staying in a 23-foot camper that's under a deck -- and on the ground. If the flooding is bad, she'll head to her neighbor and best friend's house, which is on stilts.
From CNN's Chuck Johnston
At least a dozen people along Island Road in Terrebonne Parish are being rescued, according to the Coast Guard.
An initial call came in at 4:30 a.m. local time, saying there were 12 people who needed to be rescued from Island Road, according to Petty Officer Lexie Preston.
Four people and a cat have been rescued by a MH-65 Dolphin helicopter and transported from Island Road to Houma, Louisiana, according to Preston.
The Coast Guard says they've received additional calls from people seeking assistance, in addition to the initial call from 12 people.
The Coast Guard has also launched a 24-foot response boat from Morgan City to assist in the rescues.
