- Lee weakens as it heads for the southern Louisiana coast
- It is expected to unleash more rain along the Gulf Coast
- The storm could bring up to 20 inches of rain to some parts of the Gulf
- Thousands of customers are left without power in Louisiana
New Orleans (CNN) -- Tropical Storm Lee inched toward southern Louisiana early Sunday, pelting the region with heavy rains and strong winds and knocking out power to thousands as it headed for the coast.
Lee was "a little weaker" and moving north at 2 mph, the National Weather Service said.
It is expected to unleash more rains along the Gulf Coast, with some parts forecast to receive up to 20 inches.
"We have severe weather warnings and tornado warnings in effect for parts of the state, and residents everywhere need to use extreme caution," Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal said.
"Tropical Storm Lee is moving slowly, as expected, and we are already seeing flooded roads and other effects from rising water levels throughout South Louisiana."
About 12,000 customers had no power in Louisiana as of late Saturday, Entergy reported.
The storm forced oil and gas producers to halt operations in the region amid threats of flooding in New Orleans, as well as parts of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.
T.S. Lee destroys boat
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Mississippi facing flood threat
T.S. Lee brings minor flooding to NOLAA few tornadoes "will be possible" over portions threatened by flooding and the western Florida panhandle, forecasters warned.
A tropical storm warning was in effect early Sunday from Destin, Florida, all the way to Sabine Pass, Texas.
"This storm is moving painfully slow," New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu told reporters. "We have to be vigilant."
Jindal said 10 parishes have issued emergency declarations and urged residents to pay attention to the weather and flash flooding warnings.
In New Orleans, much of which sits below sea level, Landrieu took similar measures and urged residents to "prepare for the worst ... hope for the best."
The city is likely to see heavy rain in the next few days, he said.
Lee comes about a week after the storm known as Irene pounded the East Coast, killing more than 40 people and leaving millions without power.
The slow-moving Lee had maximum sustained winds of 45 mph early Sunday. Gradual weakening is forecast to occur Sunday and Monday.
Emergency warnings posted for gulf coastParts of southern Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama could see 10 to 15 inches of rain through Sunday night, with isolated totals of up to 20 inches, forecasters said.
In Alabama, officials shut the Port of Mobile on account of rough seas.
Some energy producers evacuated employees ahead of the storm. About 60% of oil production in the Gulf and more than half of natural gas production have been shut down, according to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement.
In Biloxi, Mississippi, public works crews worked to clean storm drains and catch basins on streets prone to flooding ahead of the expected storm.
"The good news is that, at this time, with the projections we've seen, we don't expect any issues with river flooding, because the rivers are low," said Sgt. Milton Houseman, the city's emergency manager.
In addition to expected flooding and storm surge, the weather is threatening to ruin Labor Day weekend for thousands of beach-goers.
CNN's Dana Ford, Joe Sutton, Dave Alsup and Vivian Kuo contributed to this report.
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