UPDATED WITH NHC INFO: Parish officials watching tropical system, closing gates

From the St. Mary Sheriff's Office:

Sheriff Blaise Smith advises that the National Weather Service is predicting rain and rise in tide levels for St. Mary Parish.
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The Sheriff's Office was advised by the Office of Homeland Security Director David Naquin on Thursday that the NWS is watching a developing tropical system that will affect the tides and our weather overnight and into the weekend.
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Sheriff Smith has placed all SMPSO deputies on standby just in case weather conditions cause local flooding and issues.
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This morning, St. Mary Parish President David Hanagriff released a statement that the NWS has indicated that coastal areas will experience up to a two-foot rise in tides due to this system that is moving across the Gulf of Mexico. There is also a forecast of up to three inches of rain.
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The areas of St. Mary Parish that may be the most affected by this system are:
La. 317 outside of the levee system near Burns Point
La. 83 in the Louisa area
La. Cypremort Point area
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The St. Mary Parish Levee District is currently monitoring the water levels in both the Franklin Canal and Bayou Teche and plan to close both floodgates later today.

NWS National Hurricane Center Miami FL
800 PM EDT Fri May 21 2021

A well-defined low pressure area is located over the western Gulf of
Mexico about 150 miles east-southeast of Corpus Christi, Texas.
Earlier satellite wind data and buoy observations indicated that the
system is producing winds of 30-35 mph near and to the east of its
center but recent satellite and radar imagery shows that shower and
thunderstorm activity remains limited. Although environmental
conditions are not particularly favorable for significant
development, only a slight increase in thunderstorm activity could
result in the formation of a tropical depression or storm before the
system moves inland along the Texas coast overnight. Regardless of
development, the system could produce heavy rainfall over portions
of southeastern Texas and southwestern Louisiana through Saturday.
Given the complete saturation of soils with ongoing river flooding
along the Texas and Louisiana coastal areas, heavy rain could lead
to flash, urban, and additional riverine flooding across this
region. Additional information on the rainfall and flooding
potential can be found in products issued by your local National
Weather Service Forecast Office.
* Formation chance through 48 hours...medium...50 percent.
* Formation chance through 5 days...medium...50 percent.

High Seas Forecasts issued by the National Weather Service can be
found under AWIPS header NFDHSFAT1, WMO header FZNT01 KWBC, and
online at ocean.weather.gov/shtml/NFDHSFAT1.php

Forecaster Latto/Brown