POTENTIAL TO NUDGE THE NEEDLE IN AN INCREDIBLY TIGHT RACE. BUT MORE URGENTLY TONIGHT WE ARE ALSO TRACKING TROPICAL STORM FRANCINE. FEEDING OFF OF WARM GULF WATERS AND EXPECTED TO SPIN INTO A POWERFUL HURRICANE AS IT TAKES AIM AT THE LOUISIANA COAST, WITH NEW ORLEANS CURRENTLY IN ITS POTENTIAL PATH AND NOW UNDER A HURRICANE WATCH. TONIGHT HURRICANE, FLOOD AND STORM SURGE ALERTS ARE POSTED ALONG THE COAST, WHERE ALL DAY PEOPLE HAVE BEEN PREPARING THEIR LINES OF DEFENSE. FRANCINE PACKING WINDS UP TO 65 MILES PER HOUR, AND FORECASTED TO PRODUCE FLOODING RAINFALL. THE STORM WILL LIKELY MAKE LANDFALL ABOUT THIS TIME TOMORROW. WE'LL GET TO THE DEBATE. BUT FIRST AL ROKER IS HERE. AND AL, WHAT'S THE LATEST ON FRANCINE'S TRACK? >> RIGHT NOW, LESTER, WE'RE LOOKING AT THIS THING MOVING RELATIVELY SLOWLY, CURRENTLY NORTHEAST AT 10 MILES PER HOUR. IT'S 360 MILES SOUTHWEST OF MORGAN CITY, LOUISIANA WITH 65-MILE-PER-HOUR WINDS. WILL PROBABLY MAKE LANDFALL SOMETIME AS YOU MENTIONED RIGHT AROUND THIS TIME TOMORROW EVENING. THE HURRICANE WARNINGS UP FOR MUCH OF THE LOUISIANA COAST, NEW ORLEANS IN A HURRICANE WATCH. WE LOOK FOR THIS SYSTEM. DON'T WORRY ABOUT THE CATEGORY. IT'S THE IMPACT. WE COULD SEE WIND GUSTS OF UP TO 95 MILES PER HOUR, WIDESPREAD OUTAGES AND DAMAGE TO HOMES. PLUS WE'VE GOT THAT STORM SURGE AHEAD OF THOSE WINDS. FIVE TO TEN FEET FROM CENTRAL LOUISIANA ALL THE WAY TO PARTS OF THE LOUISIANA-MISSISSIPPI COAST. WE'RE LOOKING AT A MODERATE RISK OF STRONG FLOODING. BECAUSE THEY'VE ALREADY HAD RECENT RAINFALL SO ALL THIS HEAVY RAIN COULD MAKE MORE FLOODING EVEN MORE LIKELY WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT UP TO 12 INCHES OF RAIN. LESTER? >> ALL RIGHT, AL ROKER, THANKS VERY MUCH. FOR MORE LET'S GO TO JESSE KIRSCH, WHO IS IN NEW ORLEANS. AND JESSE, HOW ARE THEY BRACING FOR FRANCINE THERE? >> Reporter: LESTER, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF THREE TO FIVE FEET OF STORM SURGE FLOODING AND EVEN TORNADOES HERE AS WE WAIT FOR FRANCINE'S LANDFALL. WITH THE STORM'S LATEST FORECAST FRANCINE'S PATH WOULD HAVE NEW ORLEANS ON THE RIGHT. THAT IS TYPICALLY THE SIDE OF A HURRICANE THAT SEES THE MOST DEVASTATION FROM RAIN AND WIND. IN ANTICIPATION OF LANDFALL TODAY THERE WERE CARS LINED UP AROUND THE BLOCK OUTSIDE OF THIS CITY'S SANDBAGGING SITE. AND THE CITY IS URGING RESIDENTS TO FINISH PREPARATIONS THIS EVENING AND TO SHELTER INDOORS DURING THE STORM, WHICH FORMED CLOSER TO LOUISIANA THAN OTHERS. THAT MEANS LESS TIME TO PREPARE. LESTER?