Louisiana, USA – September 11, 2024. Hurricane Francine slammed into the Louisiana
coast Wednesday night as a dangerous Category 2 storm, knocking out power to tens of
thousands of customers and threatening widespread flooding as it sent a potentially
deadly storm surge ashore along the Gulf Coast. Though it quickly weakened to a tropical
storm, the storm still had a powerful impact. Francine made landfall in Terrebonne Parish,
about 30 miles southwest of Morgan City, the National Hurricane Center said at 4 p.m.
With maximum sustained winds near 100 mph, the storm slammed into a fragile coastal region that has yet to fully recover from a series
of devastating hurricanes in 2020 and 2021. Morgan City Fire Chief Alvin Cockerham
said Francine quickly flooded streets, downed power lines and caused tree limbs
to fall. There were no immediate reports of injuries. More than 330,000 customers
were without power across Louisiana as of Wednesday night, according to
utility tracker PowerOutage.us . TV news broadcasts from coastal Louisiana
communities showed waves from nearby lakes, rivers and the Gulf hitting seawalls.
Water poured into city streets and neighborhoods amid blinding downpours. Oak
and cypress trees tilted in the strong winds, and some power poles swayed back and forth. The hardest-hit areas were Terrebonne Parish,
near where the storm’s center made landfall, and nearby St. Mary Parish, which includes
Morgan City. Detective Lt. David Spencer, a spokesman for the St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s
Office, said the area had downed trees and power lines and damage to homes. Some homes
had severe roof damage or even missing roofs. Francine was centered about 35
miles northwest of New Orleans and had maximum sustained winds
of 70 mph as of Wednesday evening, according to the hurricane center. The
storm was moving northeast at 16 mph. The National Hurricane Center urged
residents to stay sheltered overnight as Francine made landfall. The storm’s
path was expected to include New Orleans, where forecasters said the
eye of the storm could pass. Francine is drawing fuel from the very warm
waters of the Gulf of Mexico, strengthening into a Category 2 hurricane hours before making
landfall, the National Hurricane Center said. A Category 2 hurricane is a hurricane with winds
of 96 to 110 mph that can cause major damage. The storm is expected to weaken further as it
moves north through Mississippi on Thursday, with heavy rains in the coming days
that could lead to flash flooding in cities including Jackson, Mississippi;
Birmingham, Alabama; Memphis, Tennessee; and Atlanta. The storm also carries
an increased threat of tornadoes. Much of Louisiana and Mississippi could receive
4 to 8 inches of rain, with 12 inches possible in some places, said Brad Reinhart, a senior
hurricane specialist at the hurricane center. Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry said the National Guard
will deploy to parishes affected by Francine. They have food, water, nearly 400 waterproof
vehicles, about 100 boats and 50 helicopters to respond to the storm, including for
possible search and rescue operations.