I'll be livetweeting New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell's press conference on Hurricane Delta when it starts at 4 p.m.

Follow this thread for updates or watch the livestream (courtesy of partners at @WWLTV) and get the tweets here: https://www.nola.com/news/hurricane/article_1c2f5b3a-080c-11eb-bf7a-d7d61e1f914e.html

Cantrell: The bottom line is the city of New Orleans continues to be prepared for hurricane season although Hurricane Delta is moving very fast.

Cantrell notes that Delta could become a Category 4 but that the intensity of the storm in New Orleans is very uncertain.

Cantrell: We're monitoring and we will keep you up to date.

City officials are concerned about rain, wind and storm surge, she says.

Something I skipped over because I wanted to be sure I had it straight: Cantrell said the city will be looking at revising its evacuation plans (which now take 60-72 hours) as a result of all the fast developing/moving storms this year. However, she did not issue evac order.

City Homeland Security Director Collin Arnold says the city is awaiting more detailed storm surge modelling from NHC, expected tomorrow morning.

"It stands to reason we will have to address the areas outside levee protection"

(Those areas are typically evac'd in any big storm)

Arnold: With City Council, administration will be distributing sandbags at five locations throughout the city.

Arnold: We are keeping a close eye on this storm's intensity because its very unpredictable right now and its got a long way to go.

Arnold: Impacts to New Orleans are "manageable with a shelter-in-place scenario right now."

So just to reiterate: at this point the city is monitoring but not calling for a mandatory evac and it doesn't sound like they're expecting one inside the levee system.

Bob Turner with S&WB: All facilities staffed and 98 out of 99 drainage pumps are available for use.

Turner: Working double shifts on the pump that's out of service and expect to have it back in service by Friday morning. We'll see how that works out. Turbine 3 was out of service but has been repaired and will be returned to service for emergency use (as it has been for years)

Turner: We may see some significant rain with this event, possibly 4-8 inches. If it occurs over the course of several days we should be in pretty good shape...anytime you see 4 or 6 inches of rain in a few hours we're likely to see street flooding

Turner: We've installed a new feeder from Turbine 6 (the newest turbine) to a frequency changer that allows it to be used for many of the pumps to provide additional power.

NOPD Superintendent Ferguson: Department is prepared...will not be impacted operationally because of officers out because of COVID (5 officers are currently out because of COVID). Boats are on standby for water rescue, generators are ready, barricades stationed throughout city.

Ferguson: Make your safety a priority by adhering to the guidance of all our public officials throughout this emergency. Make sure you have food, water and medicine for 72 hours. Check on elderly neighbors and family members.

Ferguson: The less you put yourself at risk the less you will put our public safety team at risk. Do not drive through standing water, do not stand or walk through standing water.

NOFD Superintendent McConnell: NOFD will be fully staffed if the storm impacts New Orleans...all high water vehicles and boats are still in place from earlier storms that we've been preparing for this year.

McConnell: You never know what the impacts of these storms will be...the impacts can be felt well outside what the cone is...I'd ask everyone not to take it lightly, make sure you're prepared for this and we'll make it through this like we have many others.

On to questions from the media:

Didn't catch the question, but Cantrell says the city will be watching updates tomorrow morning before making any decisions on evacuations.

Cantrell says any decision on evacuations will be made in consultation with other neighboring parishes.

Arnold: Right now (the situation) supports a shelter in place scenario...storm surge is really in the areas outside the federal levee system...and you're looking at winds of 40-50 mph for a 10 hour period. When the NWS says Cat 2 at landfall, that falls below our evac threshold

Arnold: But we're looking at it constantly

Question about Hurricane Laura evacuees.

Arnold says that fortunately, most of the evacuees came by private vehicles and many of those who were taken here by bus have gone back to SWLA. However, city and outside entities are reaching out to those who may need assistance

Arnold says it would take 40 hours to evacuate the areas inside the levee system and bring into play things like contraflow. So absolute last point at which an evacuation could be called would be about two days before the storm hits.

Cantrell: Each storm is different and the impacts are different as well and we have to take them serious every time

Arnold: "This community's been dealing with stuff since last Oct - Hard Rock, cyberattack, COVID - I was on the Weather Channel and they said "God, your people must be so tired" and I disagree with that because" people listen what the city tells them to do

Arnold says sandbags will be available as long as supplies last, which has been less than four hours based on prior experience this year.

They keep running through the sandbag locations very quickly but I'll post in this thread with where they will be available as soon as I can confirm.

And that's it for today's presser. Takeaways: No evacuation orders in effect at the moment but more decisions will be made tomorrow depending on the forecasts.