With Mardi Gras celebrations under way, the city of New Orleans is ramping up security measures in response to the heightened threat level following the New Year's Day attack on Bourbon Street. Law enforcement agencies at the local,

After a brief post- Super Bowl breather, an intense security presence will return to the streets and skies of New Orleans, as helicopters, drones, bomb-sniffing dogs, SWAT

Three parades will roll Thursday night in New Orleans with scores of masked riders on colorful floats. More processions will continue every day through Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday. Costumed revelers will jam the French Quarter as more parades roll in New Orleans’ suburbs, other Louisiana cities, and all along the Mississippi and Alabama coasts.

Mardi Gras gives people the opportunity to celebrate before the Lenten season, where people become more disciplined and give up habits for 40 days.

The promise from authorities for more security threatened to conflict with the city’s anything-goes sensibilities, and some changes were evident.

Powerful storms bearing a threat of tornadoes are expected to punch through Louisiana and other parts of the South on Tuesday.

With Mardi Gras just days away, New Orleans is boosting security to historic levels after a terror attack on the city's Bourbon Street killed 14 people on New Year's Day. NBC News' Jesse Kirsch has more.

Known for its spectacular parades, floats, marching bands, throws, and King cake, Mardi Gras is the biggest celebration in New Orleans.