New Orleans hit by flooding as Louisiana braces for possible hurricane

As much as seven inches of rain fell in New Orleans over a three-hour period on Wednesday morning, causing widespread flooding.

More rain is headed to the region, with the National Hurricane Center predicting that the storm system will turn into a tropical depression by Thursday morning, a tropical storm by Thursday night, and a hurricane by late Friday. Louisiana could see up to 12 inches of rain by Monday, and officials worry that the Mississippi River, which is already swollen, could crest over some of the levees surrounding New Orleans.

Gov. John Bel Edwards (D) declared a state of emergency on Wednesday, saying, "The entire coast of Louisiana is at play in this storm." Mississippi and Texas could also experience heavy rains.

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