Louisiana's National Guard says Gov. Bobby Jindal has authorized mobilization of 650 guardsmen as Tropical Storm Karen swirls in the Gulf.
Thursday's Guard news release also says 520 Louisiana National Guard technicians are being recalled from furlough to deal with the storm.
Meanwhile, utility company Entergy has issued a statement saying it is preparing for the possibility of outages accompanying high wind, heavy rains and thunderstorms from Karen.
Jindal declared a state of emergency Thursday. The declaration authorizes the governor's emergency preparedness office and other state agencies to activate emergency plans for the tropical storm's possible impact on Louisiana parishes.
The latest forecast track showed possibly clipping the southeastern tip of the state Saturday afternoon as it moves toward the Alabama coast or Florida panhandle.
