Bright Flashes Seen as Resident Says Substation Exploded During Hurricane Francine

A resident said they saw an explosion after bright flashes were seen in Metairie, Louisiana, as Hurricane Francine swept across the state on September 12.

Marshall Pace recorded this footage after seeing bright orange light repeatedly flashing down his street. “Generator blew just off Bonnabel and Pomona in Metairie. Appears to be on fire,” he wrote on X.

Pace said he saw an explosion but didn’t capture it on camera; he filmed the fire department driving in the direction of where he said an explosion happened.

The National Hurricane Center said Francine made landfall on Wednesday in southern Louisiana as a Category 2 hurricane before it was downgraded to a tropical storm as it reached New Orleans.

Louisiana and neighboring Mississippi declared states of emergency and told residents to take shelter. Credit: Marshall Pace via Storyful