HURRICANE PREPS WITH SANDBAGGING NOT GETTING UNDER WAY UNTIL YESTERDAY IN SOME PLACES. ON ITS CURRENT TRACK, THE STORM COULD BE A DIRECT HIT TO NEW ORLEANS. THE HEAVY RAINS TESTING THE CRESCENT CITY'S NETWORK OF PUMPS. TOM LLAMAS IS THERE FOR US. TOM, WHAT ARE YOU SEEING? >> Reporter: SO, LESTER, THE SITUATION HERE IN NEW ORLEANS IS GETTING MORE INTENSE BY THE MINUTE. THIS CITY HAS FACED BIGGER AND STRONGER HURRICANES, BUT WHEN THIS HURRICANE CAME ASHORE, IT HAD A RAPID INTENSITY. NOW, A CATEGORY 2 HURRICANE, AND SOON THE BIG EASY WILL FEEL THOSE 100-MILE-PER-HOUR WINDS. JUST BEHIND ME HERE IS LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN, AND AS YOU KNOW, NEW ORLEANS IS BETWEEN THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER AND LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN. 50% OF THE CITY IS BELOW SEA LEVEL, SO WATER IS ALWAYS THE BIG THREAT HERE, BUT TONIGHT THERE'S ALSO THE SCARE OF TORNADOES. TONIGHT, HURRICANE FRANCINE LASHING THE LOUISIANA COAST. THE MASSIVE STORM BARRELING INTO THE NEW ORLEANS AREA AND DRENCHING SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES. >> TAKE THIS STORM SERIOUSLY. IT IS A SERIOUS STORM. >> Reporter: THE WARM WATERS OF THE GULF STRENGTHENING THE POWERFUL SYSTEM, NOW A CATEGORY 2 HURRICANE. WIND GUSTS CHURNING AT 100 MILES PER HOUR. DANGEROUS STORM SURGE SLAMMING INTO THE COAST WITH POUNDING RAIN AND FLASH FLOODING THREATENING MANY NEIGHBORHOODS. >> I WASN'T REALLY TAKING IT SERIOUS UNTIL NOW. I SEE, IT'S REALLY REAL. >> Reporter: AND BESIDES DEALING WITH THE HURRICANE, FIRST RESPONDERS IN NEW ORLEANS ALSO PUTTING OUT A FIRE IN THIS DISTRICT. YOU CAN SEE THE FIREFIGHTERS ARE INSIDE THE STRUCTURE. THE MASSIVE HOLE CAUSED BY THE FIRE AS THE RAIN BANDS FROM HURRICANE FRANCINE COME DOWN ON THEM. GAS STATIONS SHUT DOWN. FLIGHTS CANCELED. BUSINESSES BOARDED UP, AND THE NATIONAL GUARD ON THE MOVE. NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED. THE PRESIDENT APPROVING A FEMA EMERGENCY DECLARATION FOR THE STATE. >> THE TIME TO EVACUATE HAS NOW PASSED. IT IS THE TIME TO GO TO GROUND AND HUNKER DOWN. >> Reporter: FLOOD WATCHES ARE IN PLACE FOR 9 MILLION PEOPLE FROM LOUISIANA TO FLORIDA. THESE ARE COMMUNITIES THAT STILL BEAR THE SCARS OF PAST HURRICANES. TONIGHT THEY'RE ONCE AGAIN BRACING AS ANOTHER MASSIVE STORM MAKES ITS MOVE. >> I'M JUST PRAYING TO THE LORD TO PROTECT US. >> TOM, WHAT ARE YOU SEEING AROUND YOU? ARE PEOPLE HEEDING THE WARNINGS AND STAYING INDOORS? >> Reporter: LESTER, THIS IS PRETTY INCREDIBLE. IN JUST THOSE TWO MINUTES THAT WE SAW THAT REPORT, THE SITUATION HAS GOTTEN EVEN WORSE HERE IN NEW ORLEANS. WE'RE FEELING NOW THOSE HURRICANE-FORCE WIND GUSTS. PEOPLE WERE OUT HERE EARLIER. THIS IS THE LAKEVIEW SECTION OF NEW ORLEANS. PEOPLE LOVE TO COME OUT HERE IN GREAT WEATHER. EVEN DURING THUNDERSTORMS AND BEFORE HURRICANES TO SEE THE STORMS ROLLING IN. RIGHT NOW I CAN'T SEE ANYBODY OUT HERE. IT IS DANGEROUS, AND WE'VE JUST GOTTEN AN ALERT THAT IN JEFFERSON PARISH, WHICH IS THE SUBURBS AROUND NEW ORLEANS, THEY'RE ASKING PEOPLE TO LIMIT THEIR WATER USE. THEY'RE SCARED OF THE WATER COMING IN AND BACKING UP THOSE PIPES. LESTER, BACK TO YOU. >> TOM LLAMAS AND TEAM, THANK YOU. >>> TO AL ROKER TRACKING FRANCINE. NOW IT'S GOING TO BE A LONG NIGHT. >> IT REALLY IS, LESTER. YOU CAN SEE THE BANDS WHICH ARE THOSE HEAVY BANDS JUST TO THE SOUTH OF NEW ORLEANS. THAT'S WHAT TOM IS DEALING WITH RIGHT NOW. IT IS PUSHING IN, AND IT IS GOING TO BE THE NEXT 24 HOURS VERY DIFFICULT. RIGHT NOW FRANCINE STILL A CATEGORY 2. 100-MILE-PER-HOUR WINDS MOVING NORTHEAST AT 17 MILES PER HOUR. HEAVY RAINFALL, THEY ARE GOING TO BE LOOKING AT FOUR TO SIX INCHES OR MORE. WIND GUSTS OF UP TO 75 MILES PER HOUR. THAT MEANS POWER OUTAGES, ISOLATED TORNADOES. IF FACT, TORNADO WATCHES RIGHT NOW INCLUDING NEW ORLEANS AND PARTS OF LOUISIANA. WE'RE GOING TO BE WATCHING THIS SYSTEM PUSH ITS WAY UP INTO THE MISSISSIPPI