I'm Lauren Magarino in Atlanta. You are watching the debrief. We begin with breaking news along the Louisiana Texas Gulf Coast where residents are bracing for a hurricane. Francine, the category 2 storm made landfall about an hour ago west of New Orleans near Morgan City. The storm is packing winds of 100 miles per hour as it begins to move inland. Here's video of the outer bands moving through downtown New Orleans right now. This is courtesy of Earth Cam. A tornado watch is in effect for parts of South Louisiana and Mississippi. Our team of correspondents is on the ground across Louisiana national correspondent Clayton Sandell is in Baton Rouge in our senior meteorologist Scott Withers is on the coast in New Orleans. Scott, I want to start with you. I see really bracing for yourself. Tell us how it's going so low way. can even see why can now the to ensure all over hotel lot strong, you what happened it to little all. That's who also hold >> off >> kids, you know, you wall much, >> And you certainly don't have to explain. And I think I've ever seen you in any of your hurricane coverage experience this amount of just bracing yourself to be able to even get through your report. Scotty giving us the latest in New Orleans. Thank you very much. Stay safe with the crew. Please. National correspondent Clayton Sandell is in Baton Rouge How are the conditions looking right now where you're at? >> And Lauren Show and good evening and in contrast to where Scott is that we are on what meteorologist sometimes referred to as the cleaner side of the storm. So we're not getting yet here in Baton Rouge. The really powerful winds and the powerful rains. But we have in the last hour or so seeing more of a sustained rain bands moving through here. We've been watching the radar and we are definitely starting to get into that area here in Baton Rouge that Andrew Scheer is not necessarily going to see a lot of damage from winds. But what they are concerned about here is the amount of rainfall and it is going to come down very hard here overnight. They're predicting anywhere from 4 to 6 inches, but some areas could get up to a foot of rain. And so that is why urging people to stay inside. We are still seeing a few cars on the street right now. The rain. Again, it's not as windy here, but talk of repair winds over here a little bit, you can kind of see how the clouds are starting to move very quickly here. Should the conditions that we have here which are I'm not going to last and right now I want to show you behind me actually getting ready for what happens after the next 6 to 8 hours once the storm moves through. This is an entire armies, horse a power trucks that have staged in this parking lot here. There's probably 30 or 40 trucks that are we'll be brought in to reset. Paulo polls a dig dig new holes, put power poles up, get power lines back up. Entergy, which is the power company here in Louisiana says they're actually bringing in 6,000 extra workers because they want to be on immediately as this storm goes through. But right now they're again urging people not to go outside. They have opened what they're calling shelters of last resort. So it people have evacuated or have nowhere to go. They are urging people to get to these places very quickly. But that time truly giving up because it will be in. An hour and a half, maybe 2 hours before that ridge. We will be in the middle of it here. So that's what's going on here, Lauren. we're just kind of waiting for the rest of it to rest of it to kick in and should be by clear out of here by midnight, 02:00AM or so. And then these crews will head out and start these repairs and hopefully get people hopefully everybody will stay safe. One thing the governor has said here is that even though the storm is going to pass, he doesn't want people rushing out immediately once they think it's safe take a listen. >> It is on our doorstep as we speak. Remember after the storm is over, please remain in place as you heard from all of these agencies, we are going to have a lot of people on a roadway that is necessary to put the vital infrastructure back in place so that you can go about your daily lives. >> And Lauren, even though the storm is going to move through Louisiana overnight, the danger is not over for places like Alabama and Mississippi. There are storm warnings in effect there and a threat of tornadoes overnight. So we're going to be dealing with this for the next day or so. Lauren, around. >> A region. Certainly heightened awareness