TO OUR TOP STORY OF THE DAY. OF COURSE, HURRICANE FRANCINE MAKING LANDFALL ALONG THE GULF COAST BEFORE BEING DOWNGRADED TO A TROPICAL STORM. BUT LOOK AT THESE TREES. >> BUT THE ROOF OF THIS BUILDING OR THIS BUSINESS HERE. HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE NOW WITHOUT POWER THIS MORNING IN LOUISIANA ALONE, THE STORM DAMAGING HOMES CAUSING INTENSE AND POTENTIALLY DEADLY FLASH FLOODS THROUGHOUT THE REGION. WE'VE GOT FULL TEAM COVERAGE OF TROPICAL STORM FRANCINE THIS MORNING STARTING WITH NEWS NATION'S NANCY LOO WHO IS ON THE GROUND IN HOUMA, LOUISIANA. NANCY, GOOD MORNING TO YOU. HOW ARE THINGS LOOKING ALONG THE GULF COAST. THIS MORNING. >> WELL, MARK, YOU WERE SEEING A LOT OF BRANCHES AND DEBRIS EVERYWHERE WHERE IN HOUMA, WHICH IS IN TERREBONNE TOWNSHIP. THE PARISH AND THAT IS WHERE FRANCINE CAME ASHORE LATE IN THE AFTERNOON, BRINGING WIND GUSTS OF UP TO 100 MILES AN HOUR. ACCORDING TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE, THIS IS A PORTION OF THE ROOF FROM THE POWER PLANT HERE IN HOUMA PERHAPS HAD PLAYS INTO WHY THE POWER IS OUT IN THIS REGION OF THE ROOF CAME OFF. IT'S ABOUT A BLOCK AWAY FROM THE ACTUAL BUILDING NOW THE POWER OUTAGES. THEY ARE WIDESPREAD THROUGHOUT THE GULF COAST NEARLY 4 100,000 WITHOUT ELECTRICITY IN LOUISIANA ALONE. FRANCINE CAME ASHORE AGAIN LATE IN THE AFTERNOON. IT WAS QUICK TO CAUSE A LOT OF FLASH FLOODING THE SYSTEM DUMPING TORRENTS OF RAIN ON THE REGION. FOR SEVERAL HOURS. IMPACTING LOUISIANA, MISS MISSISSIPPI AND ALABAMA AS WELL. BUT IT THEN MOVED OUT AND NOW WE HAVE THE CALL AND POWER OUTAGES EVERYWHERE AND THAT IS PROBABLY THE SIGNIFICANT ISSUE IN THIS REGION. MARKIE. WE LOST OUR POWER WHEN THE STORM HIT. WE HAVEN'T HAD IT. I MEAN, THESE ARE YOU KNOW, POWERED BY OUR CARS AND I HAVE NO IDEA LOOK LIKE LIKE HEAD. NOT IT WAS REALLY PITCH BLACK AT OUR HOTEL LAST NIGHT. A EXCEPT FOR FLASHLIGHTS. I REALLY FELT LIKE I WAS IN A MOVIE GETTING READY WITH A FLASHLIGHT. YEAH. WELL, NANCY, YOU LOOK FABULOUS, ESPECIALLY FOR RIDING OUT A HURRICANE NOW TROPICAL STORM. I WAS PRAYING THAT WE EVEN HAVE YOUR LIVE SHOT THIS MORNING FOR SHOW. SO THANK YOU. IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOUR FACE. >> THANKS FOR RIGHT NOW. THIS ONE FOR US. LET'S NOW TURN THINGS OVER TO METEOROLOGIST MAX OF PARIS. HE IS TRACKING FRANCINE EVERY STEP OF THE WAY MACS SO MUCH. I MEAN, LOOK AT VIDEO BEHIND YOU SO MUCH DAMAGE. FLOODING TO SEE THIS MORNING ALLOTMENT TO HAPPENED OVERNIGHT. THIS HIGH STORM SURGE WE ARE TALKING ABOUT AS FRANCINE MADE LANDFALL. WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT HERE ARE WAVES COMING INLAND FROM THE GULF OF MEXICO, THESE HIGH WINDS COMING DICTLY AT THE CAMERA AS THIS PERSON TOOK SHELTER ON THEIR SHRIMP BOAT. SOME OF THESE ANGLES TO THE BOAT THERE IN THE FOREGROUND. YOU CAN SEE THE BOOM, BUT SOME DIFFERENT ANGLES AS WELL. BUT T ALL THIS WATER RUSHING INLAND. >> AND REALLY RISING QUICKLY AS FRANCINE CAME ASHORE. AND HERE'S WHY WE HAVE THIS RADAR LOOP SHINED LAST 24 HOURS. THE CENTER OF THE CIRCULATION MOVING INTO COASTAL LOUISIANA. ON THE EAST SIDE, THE DIRTY SIDE OF THE STORM. WINDS GO CLOCK COUNTER CLOCKWISE AROUND STORM SYSTEMS. SO WE'RE TAKING ALL THAT WATER WITH THE WIND PUSHING INLAND AND THAT'S HOW THAT STORM SURGE HAPPENS RIGHT ALONG THE COASTLINE. STILL TROPICAL STORM WARNINGS IN PLACE. IT WILL WEAKEN INTO A TROPICAL DEPRESSION LATER TODAY MOVING INTO THE MID SOUTH. HEAVY RAIN, THE BIG THREAT WE HAVE A SIGNIFICANT RISK FOR FLASH FLOODING. THROUGH NORTH ALABAMA, BIRMINGHAM. HUNTSVILLE COULD GET UP TO 10 INCHES TODAY AS THE STORM CONTINUES TO WEAKEN MOVING NORTH PICKING UP STEAM SO QUICKLY MOVING OUT, BUT STILL DROPPING A LOT OF HEAVY RAIN TODAY MARQUEE IT REALLY GET TO KNOW WILL CHECK