Barry drifts toward Gulf Coast

MIAMI, Florida (CNN) -- Tropical Storm Barry was drifting west across the Gulf of Mexico without gaining strength Friday night, forecasters said.

At 9 p.m. EDT Friday, the center of the storm was located at 26.8 north latitude and west longitude 87.6, about 185 miles south-southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi River, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami, Florida. Its top sustained winds were clocked at about 40 miles per hour, and forecasters predicted it would strengthen only slightly by Saturday night.

"Barry is currently drifting erratically westward, and this general motion is expected to continue on Saturday," a statement from the hurricane tracking center said.

Strong high-altitude wind currents have kept Barry from developing more intensely, forecasters said, but those winds were expected to subside and allow the storm to grow.

BARRY INFORMATION At 9 p.m. EDT Friday POSITION 26.8 north latitude 87.6 west longitude About 185 miles southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi River MOVEMENT Drifting erratically west or west-northwest WIND SPEED 40 mph with higher gusts TROPICAL STORM WINDS Extend outward up to 105 miles MORE STORIES Southeast Florida swamped by floods   IN FOCUS: Chad Myers on fighting floods     EXTRA INFORMATION In-Depth: Hurricanes     RESOURCES NOAA:   Watches and warnings   Projected path

The National Weather Service has issued a tropical storm watch for portions of southeast Louisiana from the mouth of the Pearl River to Morgan City, Louisiana. Louisiana Office of Emergency Management spokesman Matt Farlow said local Red Cross officials were putting their people on alert.

"Our parishes right now are taking those initial precautions, looking at their assets and resources that they need to manage whatever impact that may happen to them," Farlow told CNN. Residents "need to be listening to the forecasts and also listening to their parish emergency management people and basically taking heed of what they ask them to do."

Isolated tornadoes are possible along the southwest Florida coast Friday, according to a National Weather Service bulletin. Portions of central and south Florida were forecast to receive up to 5 inches of rain through Friday.

A coastal flood watch is in effect from Grand Isle, Louisiana, to Destin, Florida.

Barry is the second tropical storm of the season. The first, Allison, swept from Texas to Florida and then north to New England, killing at least 35 people and causing more than $1 billion in damage. Allison dumped 35.7 inches of rain on portions of Texas in a five-day period, and Tallahassee, Florida, saw a record 9.47 inches of rain in one 24-hour period.

Barry has already doused parts of southwest Florida with heavy rain. Isolated reports recorded more than 10 inches in some spots during the past 24 hours. Because of Barry's slow movement to the west, rain was expected to continue in the area on Friday, including the cities of Fort Myers and Naples.

National Hurricane Center Meteorologist Mike Tichacek told CNN.com that it's too early to tell how Barry might develop at this point. He explained that much of what happens next depends upon whether upper-level wind troughs will shear off the top of the storm, continuing to weaken it.

"It's possible that it might develop into something great, and it's possible that it might not do anything," Tichacek said.

"I remember that Hurricane Andrew started out that way. I was working that shift on Friday, and it looked like it was going downhill and ... boom! Next thing you know there was Hurricane Andrew."

In the pre-dawn hours of August 24, 1992, Hurricane Andrew hit southern Florida with 175 mph winds, killing more than 50 people and leaving thousands of others homeless. With damage exceeding $25 billion, it was the costliest storm in U.S. history.

Meanwhile, Floridians were bracing for more rain in flooded areas. Craig Fugate of Florida Emergency Management said Martin County has declared an emergency due to heavy flooding.

"We haven't had any serious injuries or loss of life, and we'd like to keep it that way," Fugate told CNN. "We're asking people to be very careful driving on these flooded streets.

"In Martin County, many homes were impacted and shelters were opened, and they're continuing to provide those services as we assess what the impact is," Fugate said. "And really, some of these neighborhoods -- until the water goes down -- people are not going to get back into their homes and start making repairs."