The parish remains under a tropical storm watch. The current forecast has Karen drifting to the north northwest before interacting with a cold front and then turning eastward with an eventual landfall in Plaquemines Parish. Wind speeds at landfall are expected to be near hurricane strength. 
With Karen slowing its forward speed overnight, weather impacts to St. Charles Parish have shifted to Saturday. There is also an increased potential for tropical storm force winds in the parish. Maximum winds of 35 to 45 mph could cause possible widespread power outages. There will be periods of intermittent potentially heavy rain with totals in the 2 to 4 inch range throughout the event. Tides are expected to rise 4 feet on the east bank and up to 3 feet on the west bank.
Parish officials continue to urge residents to shore up their own emergency plans and disaster supply kits should they become necessary. Residents should also begin preparing their homes for windy conditions and heavy rain, including picking up and/or securing items that could be blown around and clearing culverts and drains on their properties to ensure proper drainage.
Because of the potential for higher than normal tides in the LaPlace / Montz area, sand and bags will be available at Montz Park, 100 Calcagno St. in Montz. Please bring a shovel.
Residents should call 1-800-ENTERGY to report outages.
All parish pump stations and generators are operable and fueled, and canals have been pumped down.
An announcement about the status of parish recreational games on Saturday morning will be made later today.
The EOC is in continuous contact with the National Weather Service, Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness and other response partners throughout the event.
Information on hurricane preparation can be found at www.stcharlesparish-la.gov/hurricane or www.getagameplan.org. Residents should also continue to monitor weather forecasts and the storm track.At this time officials urge residents to shore up their own emergency plans and disaster supply kits should they become necessary. Residents should also begin preparing their homes for windy conditions and heavy rain, including picking up and/or securing items that could be blown around and clearing culverts and drains on their properties.
Any questions may be directed to the St. Charles Parish Emergency Operations Center at 985-783-5050 24 hours a day.