Hurricane Francine updates: System now a tropical storm as it move though Gulf region

Francine strengthened into a hurricane on Tuesday night and made landfall near New Orleans on Wednesday.

The hurricane sent New Orleans residents scrambling to prepare with evacuations underway in multiple areas, impacting certain services and shutting down City Hall. Mayor LaToya Cantrell urged residents to prepare to hunker down.

“Hold the line, stay focused, stay prepared,” she said at a Wednesday briefing.

In Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Governor Jeff Landry – who had declared a state of emergency to help free up resources to prepare for the storm – instructed residents to take advantage of the electricity they still receive.

By Wednesday night, the system was downgraded into a tropical storm as it moved its way through Mississippi, heading north.

“There is a danger of life-threatening storm surge during the next several hours for portions of the Louisiana and Mississippi coastlines, where a Storm Surge Warning remains in effect,” National Weather Service forecasters warned.

Even as Tropical Storm Francine continues to weaken, forecasters ask people to remain vigilant about the rainfall and the potential for flash flooding.

Key Points

• Hurricane Francine makes landfall

• Some storm impacts are already being felt

• New Orleans is coordinating a citywide response

Hurricane Francine takes aim at Louisiana

Wednesday 11 September 2024 14:51 , Julia Musto

Hurricane Francine strengthened into a Category 1 storm on Tuesday. On Wednesday morning, the storm had maximum sustained winds near 90 miles per hour.

Additional strengthening is possible this morning, although Francine is anticipated to weaken over land.

The storm will make landfall later in the afternoon or evening.

Louisiana utility prepares for storm-related outages as thousands already without power

Wednesday 11 September 2024 15:04 , Julia Musto

Utility Louisiana Energy said it is taking proactive steps to trimming trees and limbs away from critical power lines.

“We’ve also requested the help of additional tree trimmers to ensure restoration efforts move quickly and as safely as possible,” they said in a tweet.

Outage tracker PowerOutage.US showed there were already more than 8,200 customers without power on Wednesday morning.

Louisiana’s Cleco Power said it had secured 1,700 additional contractor resources to respond to the storm,

Wednesday 11 September 2024 15:16 , Julia Musto

Louisiana’s Cleco Power, a utility that serves multiple parishes in the state, said it was monitoring and preparing for Hurricane Francine, as well.

In a statement, Cleco Power said it had secured 1,700 additional contractor resources to respond to the storm, including line mechanics and vegetation specialists.

“We will continue to look at the intensity and path of the storm to adjust the number of workers needed to safely and efficiently clear debris, repair system damage and restore power to our customers,” said Clint Robichaux, director of distribution operations and reliability.

“Now is the time to prepare, especially our customers in south Louisiana.”

Residents are advised to keep flashlights and battery-powered radios handy, along with charged cell phones and other devices. In addition, Cleco Power says all downed power lines should be assumed to be live.

Storm surge could bring floodwaters to heights up to 10 feet in some areas. If water is rising, residents are instructed to turn off electricity at the main breaker, evacuate, and stay away until waters have completely receded.

Louisiana’s Iberia Parish issues curfew as storm takes aim at nearby community

Wednesday 11 September 2024 15:37 , Julia Musto

Hurricane Francine is expected to become a Category 2 hurricane before it makes landfall in south Louisiana on Wednesday.

Iberia officials issued a curfew for their residents ahead of the storm, which is taking aim at St. Mary Parish, according to Iberia Parish President Larry Richard.

Richard urged residents of his community to consider voluntary evacuation on Monday night. On Tuesday, he declared a curfew from 11 a.m. Wednesday through Thursday morning.

“This curfew prohibits and/or controls pedestrian and vehicular traffic, except essential emergency vehicles and personnel. The curfew does not apply to anyone going to and from their place of employment for purposes of work or any other critical or essential business activity as specifically defined by the United States Department of Homeland Security, Cyber Security and Infrastructure Security Agency,” he wrote.

New Orleans on high alert as Tropical Storm Francine barrels towards coast

Louisiana schools announced closures ahead of the storm

Wednesday 11 September 2024 15:50 , Julia Musto

Louisiana schools announced closures on Wednesday as Hurricane Francine approaches.

Louisiana State University said its campus would be closed, with classes held remotely on Wednesday and Thursday. Residence halls and on-campus apartments will remain open, with food available to those on campus. Students who live on campus were told to expect to shelter in place during the storm.

Southern University said its Baton Rouge campuses would close on Tuesday afternoon, with normal operations expected to resume on Thursday by noon. There were also adjusted dining hours for its students.

Northshore Technical Community College said it would remain closed through Thursday, and Baton Rouge Community College transitioned to remote work on Tuesday, with classes canceled on Wednesday and Thursday.

New Orleans Public Schools said all schools would be closed both days, following early dismissal on Tuesday. The East Baton Rouge Parish School System canceled classes districtwide on Wednesday and Thursday, as well.

Louisiana residents fill sandbags for hours ahead of storm

Wednesday 11 September 2024 16:11 , Julia Musto

Residents of Louisiana have scrambled to prepare for Hurricane Francine, putting plywood on windows in Morgan City and filling sandbags. While some took the chance to evacuate their homes, others would ride out the storm.

In New Orleans, cars and trucks were lined up for blocks to collect sandbags from the parking lot of a local YMCA.

The National Guard will be deployed to parishes that could be impacted by Francine, bringing food and water.

Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry has declared a state of emergency.

The governor, who is expected to hold a press conference in a little over an hour, commended teens in Lafitte who were filling sandbags and stacking them for “14 hours straight,” according to WDSU.

“#LouisianaStrong,” he wrote in a post of social media.

With reporting from The Associated Press

Flight tracker shows more than 100 flight cancellations at Louisiana airports

Wednesday 11 September 2024 16:22 , Julia Musto

Flight tracker FlightAware is reporting more than 100 flight cancellations at Louisiana airports on Wednesday morning.

The website showed 91 had been cancelled at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport.

At Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport, there were 17. And, the Lafayette Regional/Paul Fournet Field had 10.

Cancellations were also shown at major travel hubs in Texas, including in Dallas and Houston.

In Pictures: Louisianans prepare for blow from Hurricane Francine

Wednesday 11 September 2024 16:52 , Julia Musto

Louisiana residents are preparing for Hurricane Francine, stopping at gas stations and filling up sandbags.

President Biden approves emergency declaration for Louisiana

Wednesday 11 September 2024 17:08 , Julia Musto

FEMA announced Wednesday that President Biden had approved an emergency declaration for Louisiana. The action authorizes the agency to coordinate disaster relief efforts, including mobilizing necesary equipment and resources.

This comes as New Orleans Democratic Mayor LaToya Cantrell reportedly issued a state of emergency in the city, according to NOLA.com.

The city has asked that residents stay off the roads and shelter in place by 11 a.m. The hurricane is expected to hit this evening as a Category 1 storm.

“Conditions will worsen throughout the day—stay safe!” the mayor wrote on social media.

Hurricane Francine will bring life-threatening hazards in coming hours

Wednesday 11 September 2024 17:29 , Julia Musto

Hurricane Francine was moving very quickly more than 200 miles to the southwest of New Orleans late Wednesday morning.

The storm strengthened over night, with maximum sustained winds at 90 miles per hour. Francine was shifting, National Hurricane Center Director Dr. Michael Brennan said, to the northeast at 13 miles per hours.

Multiple life-threatening hazards are expected for Louisiana over the course of the next few hours. Brennan said the agency was very concerned about storm surge from Intracoastal City to Port Fourchoun.

The New Orleans metropolitan area was under a hurricane watch. There were tropical storm warnings across the Louisiana coast. Tropical storm conditions are expected into Mississippi, as well.

At this point, Governor Jeff Landry said people should stay indoors and off roads.

“We stand ready,” he said in a press conference.

Louisiana officials give press briefing on Francine response

Wednesday 11 September 2024 17:33 , Julia Musto

The time to evacuate has now passed, Louisiana officials warned Wednesday. In a press conference, Republican Governor Jeff Landry said that Hurricane Francine was beginning to impact the state.

“Stay home and stay put,” the governor said, advising people to take advantage of the power they currently have.

“If the conditions are not too rough in the area, then now could be the last opoortunity for you to take photos of your property to assess the damage once the storm has passed,” Landry added.

Residents are also instructed to put important documents in a safe and waterproof place.

“We are now no longer in the prepare for a hurricane, we are now in the respond for a hurricane,” Jacques Thibodeaux who serves as the Director of the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, said.

New Orleans shifts to bus transit services only

Wednesday 11 September 2024 17:59 , Julia Musto

The New Orleans Regional Transit Authority will shift to bus transit services only on Wednesday, starting at noon.

The city’s emergency preparedness campaign said that all ferry and streetcar operations would remain suspended until further notice.

New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell to hold news conference

Wednesday 11 September 2024 18:02 , Julia Musto

New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell tweeted that she would hold a news conference on Instagram Live at noon.

Wednesday 11 September 2024 18:30 , Julia Musto

New Orleans officials warned in a wide-ranging press conference on Wednesday that there will be street flooding in the major metro. Isolated tornadoes are also possible in the region.

“We are reslient, and we are ready,” said Mayor LaToya Cantrell. She said New Orleanians had done well in following instructions from the city.

There was an uptick in people who signed up for NOLA Ready emergency alerts, and Cantrell said they were prepared in more ways than before.

Conditions are expected to diminish in New Orleans at around 2 p.m., but the worst impacts are expected in starting at around 6 p.m. and lasting through midnight.

Collin Arnold, New Orleans’ director of homeland security and emergency preparedness, said that strong winds at speeds up to 40 miles per hour could knock out power. Louisiana utility Entergy said it added 2,000 lineworkers and hundreds ahead of the storm.

The city is under a hurricane watch and a tropical storm warning, and could see rainfall of 4-8 inches, although local amounts could be higher.

If there is enough rain, Arnold said there could be street flooding. Although, he categorized the situation with pumps and power as “good.”

He expects dramatic improvement around noon on Thursday.

“Again, and I cannot emphasize enough, please, starting this afternoon, and particularly tonight — this evening six, seven o’clock — get off the roads,” he said.

While emergency resource centers have been set up, they will not be open until after the storm passes, should it be necessary.

There were no issues with hospitals and other healthcare facilties. The city was in contact with all of its independent living facilities.

New Orleans shelters are reportedly at capacity, but there are still spaces at New Orleans Recreation Department sites.

Police will be working 12-hour-long shifts, and numerous high water vehicles and boats have been deployed.

The SPCA will respond to issues threatening animals’ lives.

Wednesday 11 September 2024 18:55 , Julia Musto

Tropical storm conditions have reached the Louisiana coast as Hurricane Francine moved about 95 miles southwest of Morgan City Wednesday afternoon.

The National Hurricane Center said that life-threatening storm surge and hurricane-force winds are expected to begin in Louisiana during the next several hours.

The timeline for the hurricane’s landfall is still from afternoon to the evening. Little change in strength is expected before it hits.

After that, the system will cross southeastern Louisiana before moving northward across Mississippi on Thursday.

The system is forecast to become post-tropical on Thursday.

Tornado watch issued for New Orleans metropolitan area

Wednesday 11 September 2024 19:30 , Julia Musto

The National Weather Service issued a tornado watch Wednesday afternoon for parts of Louisiana and Mississippi. The watch is in effect until 11 p.m.

A tornado warning was issued for Plaquemines Parish.

“Take cover NOW in an interior room or a small closet if you are in the warning area!” the agency’s New Orleans station said.

Two of its stations along the coast were reported sustained Tropical Storm winds, including Eugene Island and Caillou Lake with (53 mph).

“Also note the elevated platform in the gulf w/ winds of 86 mph gusting to 112 mph. Strong winds will spread inland through the afternoon.”

Tropical-storm-force winds and rain spreading over southern Louisiana

Wednesday 11 September 2024 20:08 , Julia Musto

The National Hurricane Center said heavy rain and tropical-storm-force winds are spreading inland across the state.

“Now is the time to stay inside and away from windows. Have multiple ways to receive warnings and update,” the agency wrote on X.

Hurricane Francine will make landfall later in the day or evening.

Social media users react as storm surge, rain impacts southern coast

Wednesday 11 September 2024 20:33 , Julia Musto

Social media users took to X on Wednesday afternoon as Hurricane Francine whirled toward the southern Louisiana coast.

The northern eye wall is expected to move onshore near lower Terrebonne Parish in the next 30 minutes, and people there were told to shelter in place.

Videos and photos showed heavy rainfall and storm surge across the region.

In one video, birds appeared to struggle against the wind in Morgan Place, which was under a curfew until 6 a.m. on Thursday.

Police there would patrol and stop residents who walked through the city.

Famed storm chaser Reed Timmer is livestreaming the storm, and posted video of minor flooding in Dulac.

New Orleans gay bar staying open for the storm

Wednesday 11 September 2024 21:07 , Julia Musto

One gay bar in New Orleans is staying open as Hurricane Francine approaches Louisiana.

Phoenix Bar said that Happy Hour prices would be in effect through Thursday at 10 a.m.

“We are open! We have power! We are Hurricane Partying! We are safe!” the bar wrote on Facebook Wednesday afternoon.

On Tuesday, the bar said it was stocked with candles in case the power goes out. New Orleans is expected to see strong winds from the storm.

“We have lots of candles in case the power goes out just remember if that happens the arm wont work so have cash on hand! Stay safe and be prepared!” the bar said.

Phoenix Bar’s owner Tracy Deroche told NOLA.com that he expects business to be steady, and doesn’t think a loss of electricity would affect it.

“When we don’t have power, people usually stay,” he said. “It was 97 degrees in the bar (for the last outage), and people were still in there drinking. They’re just very supportive of us.”

Northern eyewall of Hurricane Francine nears southern Louisiana coast

Wednesday 11 September 2024 21:18 , Julia Musto

The northern eyewall of Hurricane Francine is nearing southern Louisiana. The national weather service said hurricane conditions would begin soon for residents in the area.

“Now is the time to stay inside and away from windows. Have multiple ways to receive warnings and updates,” the agency’s New Orleans station warned.

A NOAA at Eugene Island recently reported a near-hurricane-force gust of 69 miles per hour.

Strong winds are forecast to spread inland over the coming hours.

A flash flood warning was issued for Morgan City, Franklin, and Patterson until 9 p.m.

In Pictures: First flooding from Francine seen in new images

Wednesday 11 September 2024 21:47 , Julia Musto

The water is rising in Terrebonne Parish as Hurricane Francine begins to impact the southern Louisiana coast.

Hurricane Francine strengthens into a Category 2 storm as it approaches landfall

Wednesday 11 September 2024 22:03 , Julia Musto

Hurricane Francine strengthened into a Category 2 storm on Wednesday afternoon. The storm’s eyewall was bringing coastal flooding to Dulac and other coastal Louisiana communities. It is expected to make landfall within the next few hours.

As its eye approaches the state, the National Hurricane Center said that life-threatening storm surge and hurricane conditions were spreading.

Francine was positioned about 40 miles south-southwest of Morgan City and approximately 100 miles west-southwest of New Orleans.

The hurricane has maximum sustained winds of 100 miles per hour, with higher gusts.

What to know before Hurricane Francine makes landfall

Wednesday 11 September 2024 22:18 , Julia Musto

Life-threatening storm surge is forecast tonight for the Louisiana and Mississippi coasts.

Damaging and life-threatening hurricane-force winds are also expected this evening where there is a hurricane warning.

Francine is also expected to bring heavy rainfall and flash and urban flooding, as well as river flooding, across southeastern Louisiana, Mississippi, far southern Alabama, and the Florida Panhandle through Thursday night.

Flash and urban flooding is also probably across the Lower Tennessee Valley and Lower Mississippi Valley from tonight and into Friday morning.

Tammany Parish urges its residents to stay safe as Hurricane Francine’s eyewall breaches the Louisiana coast

Wednesday 11 September 2024 22:47 , Julia Musto

Tammany Parish President Mike Cooper urged residents to stay safe on Wednesday afternoon as Hurricane Fracine’s eyewall breached the southern Louisiana coast.

“The eye of Francine is projected to be just to the west of us. Now is the time to stay where you are or get to a safe location,” he said.

“Of course, time is ticking and the timeframe is increasingly reduced.”

Locals should be prepared to hunker down until tomorrow morning and stay off the roads. Power outages are expected in the parish, and Cooper warned about the danger of falling trees.

“Strong winds can turn our beautiful, tall pine trees into hazards,” he cautioned.

The area will see wind gusts of up to 60 miles per hour and possibly 4-6 feet of storm surge.

Hurricane Francine expected to make landfall in the next hour

Wednesday 11 September 2024 22:50 , Julia Musto

Hurricane Francine is expected to make landfall in the next hour.

The National Weather Service’s New Orleans office said the Category 2 storm has winds near 100 miles per hour.

“Life-threatening conditions are expected across portions of the area,” it said.

Hurricane Francine makes landfall

Wednesday 11 September 2024 23:06 , Julia Musto

Hurricane Francine has made landfall inTerrebonne Parish, about 30 miles south-southwest of Morgan City.

It hit Louisiana as a Category 2 hurricane with sustained winds of 100 miles per hour.

Hurricane Francine expected to bring several life-threatening hazards: NWS

Wednesday 11 September 2024 23:06 , Julia Musto

The National Weather Service is warning residents of multiple hazards related to Hurricane Francine, which will likely make landfall in the next hour.

Sustained hurricane force winds could affect areas west and southwest of the tidal lake, bringing the threat of power outages and damage to homes, trees and power lines.

Coastal areas will see life-threatening water levels, with flooding that may be slow to drain due to wind direction on Thursday.

High rainfall will impact saturated soils and flash flooding could quickly occur in urban and poor drainage areas.

Rises on river areas are expected as the rain drains, including minor flooding along rivers from the north shore through the Mississippi coast.

Several tornadoes are possible in Francine’s bands.

Social media users post dramatic videos of Hurricane Francine as it makes landfall

Wednesday 11 September 2024 23:30 , Julia Musto

Hurricane Francine made landfall on Wednesday afternoon. It’s bringing life-threatening hazards to the southern region of the state.

Social media users have taken to X to post dramatic video as the storm comes in.

NWS issues flash flood warning through this evening

Wednesday 11 September 2024 23:42 , Julia Musto

The National Weather Service issued a flash flood warning until 8 p.m. in Thibodaux, Bayou Blue, and Raceland.

Dramatic satellite video shows Hurricane Francine as it makes landfall

Thursday 12 September 2024 00:00 , Julia Musto

Satellite video from CSU/CIRA and NOAA shows Hurricane Francine as it swirls over Louisiana on Wednesday afternoon.

The Category 2 storm is bringing life-threatening flooding, winds, and storm surge.

More than 53K Louisiana customers without power as Francine hits the state

Thursday 12 September 2024 00:30 , Julia Musto

Power failures have begun in Louisiana, impacting more than 53,000 customers.

Power outage tracker PowerOutage.US shows 53,680 customers have been affected.

Earlier in the day, before the storm hit, only 7-8,000 customers were without power.

The hurricane’s severe weather threats inland will continue into the evening.

Jefferson Parish asks residents to conserve water in the hurricane

01:00 , Julia Musto

Jefferson Parish is asking its residents to conserve water by limiting any non-essential activities.

“If we get too much water in our system, it can cause sewer backups. Anything we can do to mitigate helps!” the parish wrote on X.

Storm downgraded to Category 1

01:14 , Alex Lang

Hurricane Francine has been downgraded to a Category 1 hurricane after making landfall in Louisiana, according to forecasters.

A Category 1 storm has winds between 74 to 95mph. That is still enough to cause significant damage.

The storm sustained winds of 68mph in Dulac, Louisiana, according to NBC News. It had a peak gust in the city of 97 mph. A gust of 59mph was reported in Patterson, Louisiana.

Flood warnings issues in New Orleans

01:46 , Alex Lang

New Orleans is now under a Florida warning as Hurricane Francine makes its way through the area.

As the storm made landfall, the National Weather Service in New Orleans issued the advisory.

“We are getting consistent gusts of 55-65MPH across the metro and higher to the southwest. Flooding also likely. Shelter in place and stay away from windows!” the agency wrote on social media.

Floods in New Orleans are always a concern, especially after 2005’s Hurricane Katrina. That storm led to massive flooding in Louisiana and led to a total of 1,392 deaths in its path.

Photo shows Hurricane Francine from space

02:26 , Alex Lang

A new satellite image shows Hurricane Francine from space as the storm made landfall in Louisiana. The stunning visual shows the massive size of the storm, with its bands stretching from Texas to Florida.

The now Category 1 storm is bringing damaging winds and a flooding threat to the Gulf Region. Many communities are under storm-related warnings as it moves through the area.

The storm’s current projected path has it heading into Mississippi, where it will continue to weaken into a tropical depression. It's expected to remain in Mississippi until early Friday morning when it will pass into the Tennessee/Arkansas region.

Curfews are in place for several communities

03:19 , Alex Lang

Several Louisiana communities are using curfews to help keep people off the road and safe as Hurricane Francine moves through the area.

In Terrebonne Parish, a 7 p.m. curfew is in effect for the zone south of the Morganza Levee system, according to WGNO. Officials also warned that the area under curfew is expected to grow.

In Washington Parish, a curfew of 10 p.m. is in place for today and lasts until noon on Thursday.

Officials in Lafourche Parish announced a curfew will be in place until sunrise on Thursday. The local sheriff was in charge of enforcing the curfew, but essential workers needing to be in the storm could have a placecard on their vehicles to show they are essential.

System downgraded to a tropical storm

04:22 , Alex Lang

As Francine moves north through the Gulf region, it has been downgraded to a tropical storm.

During an 11 p.m. update Wednesday, National Weather Service forecasters said the system continues to lose strength as it remains over land.

“As Francine continues inland, the storm will spin down and likely become a tropical depression by late Thursday and a post-tropical cyclone Thursday night or early Friday,” forecasters said.

Even though the storm is weakening, there is still the potential of flash flooding and damaging winds from the system.

“Francine is expected to bring heavy rainfall and the risk of considerable flash and urban flooding, along with river flooding, across southeastern Louisiana, Mississippi, far southern Alabama, and the Florida Panhandle through Thursday night. Flash and urban flooding is probable across the Lower Tennessee Valley and Lower Mississippi Valley into Friday morning,” the service stated.