As Hurricane Francine approaches Louisiana, it will only get stronger.
Francine is expected to continue developing, possibly to a Category 2 storm, before making landfall along the coast of Louisiana on Wednesday. Francine has intensified into a Category 1 hurricane with sustained winds in excess of 90 mph.
Francine's location early on Wednesday was reported by the National Hurricane Center to be roughly 245 miles away from Morgan City, Louisiana. A hurricane watch was earlier issued by the center for the New Orleans region due to a modest adjustment in the anticipated track towards the east.
The hurricane is expected to intensify further in the historically warm Gulf of Mexico through Wednesday morning before making landfall Wednesday afternoon or the end of the day according to forecasters. Before making impact, sustained winds can approach 100 mph, according to the hurricane center.
In preparation for the storm's expected landfall in Louisiana, several towns there were closing their floodgates and relocating their residents. Francine "poses a serious threat," according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, so everyone in her path were advised to make preparations. The agency said, "Don't wait until the last minute—Francine is getting worse rapidly and swift action is critical."
After facing harsh circumstances overnight, the powerful storm began to weaken Tuesday morning and moved northeast through the Gulf of Mexico, where it will begin to increase once more. Tuesday morning, it soaked sections of deep South Texas with several inches of flooding rain and high winds. Texas Governor Greg Abbott stated on Tuesday that the state is ready for the possibility of strong winds and rain, emphasizing that "this is not an unusual storm." He declared, "We should and are prepared for dealing with this storm."
Additionally, the storm's anticipated route has been shifting eastward, which might contribute to intensification by extending its stay over the ocean and involving a larger portion of the New Orleans region. The coastal regions of Mississippi and Alabama were under tropical storm and hurricane surge watches and warnings due to the eastward movement.
Although the storm may face more unfavorable conditions before making landfall, this won't alter the overall effect: Heavy rains, strong gusts, and a storm surge that might be fatal threatened to flood roads, severely damage homes, and bring out widespread power outages. Although a larger portion of the Gulf Coast will feel the storm's effects far in advance of landfall, southern Louisiana is expected to see the most severe effects. Along portions of the coastlines of upper Texas and Louisiana, rain and sporadic thunderstorms are expected to persist until Wednesday AM, when Francine's rain bands approach. Winds stronger than a tropical storm could hit as early as Wednesday morning.
The biggest dangers to Francine
Although a storm's official strength may be determined by its winds, the water is what is most likely to cause fatalities. Francine is not an exception. Storm surge from Francine will cause several feet of the Gulf of Mexico to spill into typically dry areas along the western Gulf Coast. From the border of Mississippi and Alabama far enough northeastern Texas, there are watches and alerts for storm surges along the coast. There are multiple evacuation orders in effect along the Gulf and Louisiana coasts due to the possibility of storm surge.
As Francine gets closer to a possible landfall along the coastline of central Louisiana, the amount of water will start to increase most noticeably, with surge levels possibly rising up to ten feet above average. Another serious risk is flooding brought on by persistently high rain. Flood watches have been issued for a portion of the Gulf Coast; since a non-tropical cyclone saturated some of the places that Francine is predicted to drench last week, flash flooding will be less likely to occur. The storm's outer rain bands may start to affect the Gulf Coast on Tuesday night, but Wednesday morning will bring the most intense rains.
From the northeast Mexican shoreline to southern Mississippi, 4 to 8 inches of rain are predicted to fall throughout the storm; in certain areas of southeast Louisiana, as much as 12 inches. While the storm is forecast to teach quickly weaken as it approaches onshore on Wednesday, the lower and middle Mississippi River Valleys are predicted to get significant rainfall throughout the remainder of the week.
orders for evacuation near the Gulf Coast Gov.
Jeff Landry of Louisiana declared a state of emergency on Monday, and FEMA stated on Tuesday that they are coordinating with local authorities to ensure prompt distribution of materials. On Tuesday, more areas of the state's coast were under evacuation orders.
Jefferson Parish President Cynthia Lee Sheng announced during a news conference on Monday that mandatory evacuations had been ordered for regions not covered by the levee security system in Jefferson Parish, which covers portions of the greater New Orleans area. Lee Shang declared, "Monday, I will be signing an emergency declaration in preparation of Tropical Storm Francine." "Due to the potentially fatal storm surge, I will also announce a mandatory evacuation for everyone outside the levee security system, including Grand Isle and Lafitte."
Parts of Lafourche Parish were scheduled to implement both mandatory and voluntary evacuations on Tuesday afternoon, as announced by the parish administration. Zone 1 in Terrebonne Parish was also subject to mandatory evacuations, according to the parish administration. A government representative posted on social media on Monday that most of Cameron Parish, Louisiana, was under mandatory evacuation. Further east, at the city of Grand Isle in Jefferson Parish, which was devastated by the Category 4 storm Ida in 2021, orders were issued for both mandatory and voluntary evacuations.
Curfews are required by the parishes of Iberia, Terrebonne, and Lafourche prior to landfall, and on Monday, the parishes of St. Mary and Terrebonne began to shut off the water supply and hand out sand bags. A news release stated that Terrebonne Parish also announced a state of urgency. On Wednesday and Thursday, institutions are closed in a number of Louisiana parishes, including Jefferson, Terrebonne, and Orleans, which includes New Orleans. Residents of the Mississippi city of Pass Christian have started to leave of their own volition.
.gif)