Hurricane Francine Slams into Southern Louisiana with Destructive Winds and Storm Surge.
The powerful Category 2 storm, Hurricane Francine, made landfall on Wednesday evening along southern Louisiana’s coastline, bringing destructive 100 mph winds and dangerous storm surge. The eye of the hurricane moved inland at 5 p.m. CT in Terrebonne Parish, continuing to bring hurricane-force winds into the southern region of the state near Baton Rouge.
As stormy conditions began Wednesday afternoon, Louisiana officials urged residents to remain in place until first responders could safely reach them if needed. The hurricane’s conditions also brought the threat of tornadoes and severe thunderstorms that would continue through Wednesday night into early Thursday.
According to the latest advisory from the National Hurricane Center (NHC), Francine is currently located about 30 miles southwest of Morgan City, Louisiana, or about 85 miles southwest of New Orleans, moving northeast at around 17 mph. The maximum sustained winds are near 100 mph with higher gusts.
All flights into and out of New Orleans International Airport were canceled as conditions deteriorated on Wednesday afternoon. Before Francine’s arrival, President Joe Biden approved an emergency declaration for the Bayou State. Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry explained that “after declaring a state of emergency, we have now determined that this storm is of such severity that an effective response is beyond the capabilities of the state and local governments.
This federal assistance is needed to save lives and property,” he added.
Mandatory curfews were issued in some parishes from Wednesday afternoon until sunrise on Thursday, including Cameron Parish where flooding was already happening prior to landfall. Heavy rain and flooding were occurring in New Orleans on Wednesday evening, with businesses along Bourbon Street remaining open despite the stormy conditions.
Power outages began creeping up across Louisiana on Wednesday after landfall, with more than 20,500 reported by Poweroutage.us. The NHC said Francine is expected to take a gradual turn toward the north, bringing the center of Francine across southeastern Louisiana and southwestern and central Mississippi on Thursday.
Francine became a hurricane on September 10th, marking the peak of the 2024 hurricane season when a named storm is most likely to be roaming the Atlantic Basin. As Francine heads north and eventually dissipates, the NHC is also tracking several other systems in the Atlantic.
